Ranges of families tetrapods through the Triassic and Early Jurassic
At least half of the species now known to have been living on Earth at that time became extinct. This event vacated terrestrial
ecological niches, allowing the
dinosaurs to assume the dominant roles in the
Jurassic period. This event happened in less than 10,000 years and occurred just before
Pangaea started to break apart. In the area of
Germany), a Triassic-Jurassic
bonebed can be found, which is characteristic for this boundary.
Statistical analysis of marine losses at this time suggests that the decrease in diversity was caused more by a decrease in
speciation than by an increase in extinctions.