Ecological niche modelling does not support climatically-driven dinosaur diversity decline before the Cretaceous/Paleogene mass extinction

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08997-2
• Publication Date: 2019-03-06T11:07:05Z
• Authors: Alfio Alessandro ...; Philip D. Mannion; Daniel J. Lunt; Alex Farnsworth; Lewis A. Jones; Sarah-Jane Kelland; Peter A. Allison
• Keywords: Paleogene; Extinction (optical mineralogy)

Abstract In the lead-up to Cretaceous/Paleogene mass extinction, dinosaur diversity is argued have been either in long-term decline, or thriving until their sudden demise. The latest Cretaceous (Campanian–Maastrichtian [83–66 Ma]) of North America provides best record address this debate, but even here reconstructions are biased by uneven sampling. Here we combine fossil occurrences with climatic and environmental modelling quantify American habitat. Ecological niche shows a Campanian-to-Maastrichtian habitability decrease areas present-day rock-outcrop. However, continent-wide projection demonstrates habitat stability, increase, that not preserved. This reduction spatial sampling window resulted from formation proto-Rocky Mountains sea-level regression. We suggest Maastrichtian therefore likely be underestimated, apparent decline product bias, due climatically-driven as previously hypothesised.