New analysis reconstructs the dawn of dinosaurs and other reptiles
Researchers have conducted a new analysis of archosauromorph evolution to understand the rapid diversification of reptiles following the Permian mass extinction. The study investigates the 'early burst' pattern of species origination to clarify the evolutionary drivers behind Mesozoic ecosystem development.
Why it matters
Understanding evolutionary radiation patterns helps scientists predict how biodiversity recovers after major extinction events, providing context for modern ecological shifts.
edited by Lisa Lock , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Mean estimates of diversification dynamics parameters (with 95% highest posterior density (HPD)) in (a) all Archosauromorpha, (b) stem archosaur taxa only, (c) crown taxa only. Credit: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2026.0485 About 252 million years ago, at the end of the Permian Period, a large proportion of species on Earth rapidly became extinct. After this mass extinction, many groups of organisms began to recover, while reptiles known as archosauromorphs—the group that includes dinosaurs and crocodiles—proliferated.
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