The macroecology of Mesozoic dinosaurs

Brusatte and his co-authors conducted an analytical investigation to test the narrative. They found that the dinosaurs were actually occupying a smaller space compared to other tetrapods. This suggests that they were more opportunistic in response to the Late Triassic upheaval, which eventually led to the Triassic-Jurassic mass extinction. This shift benefited the dinosaurs, allowing them to occupy and radiate into the vacant terrestrial niches.