Dinosaurs first appeared during extreme climate change

In a new study from the University of Utah, experts are describing an unusual time in Earth's history when the climate abruptly shifted in the middle of the Triassic period about 237 million years ago. This major climate change event, known as the Carnian Pluvial Episode (CPE), was characterized by massive volcanic eruptions that released enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, intense rainfall, extreme heat and humidity, and the very first appearance of dinosaurs.  Recent studies suggest that the volcanic eruptions caused the CPE, and that the resulting …