New study challenges long-held beliefs about dinosaur rise linked to End Triassic Extinction

A new study suggests that the End Triassic Extinction, which occurred about 201.6 million years ago, may have been caused by a global temperature drop instead of rapid warming. This challenges the long-held belief linking the extinction to volcanic eruptions. Researchers found that volcanic eruptions from the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province likely produced short bursts of cooling due to sulfate particles reflecting sunlight, rather than prolonged warming from greenhouse gases. This cooling may have led to the extinction of many species. The study indicates that the initial volcanic activity lasted less than 100 years, contrary to previous assumptions of continuous eruptions over hundreds of thousands of years. This new understanding could reshape how scientists view the events leading to the rise of dinosaurs.