Antarctica

I recently created a map showing the distribution of Lystrosaurus in Lopingian and Early Triassic. Having completed the creation, I thought about where else these animals could live and where, in theory, they could be found in the future?

As can be seen from finds in the southern hemisphere, these animals lived around the subrolar region, where suitable vegetation probably grew and where the last relict lakes from the Karoo Ice Age probably remained (South Africa, India, East Antarctica). In the northern hemisphere, they also lived near the subpolar region (western Russia, northwestern China), where similar climatic conditions were probably observed, but due to the proximity of the ocean, especially between Siberia and Eastern Europe (on some maps, the authors show a sea strait between these regions, but this is unlikely, because there was already a land connection between Europe and China). So, taking into account the already known places of discoveries, I imagined the habitat zone of Lystrosaurus in Early Triassic (purple) and marked with "˅" places where they most likely lived and where we are likely to find their fossils in the future:

1) Southern part of South America (Chile, Argentina). ~250 Ma, it was located not far from South Africa and, most likely, the animals could get there by land.

2) East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya and other countries). Location located between South Africa and India. I believe the likelihood of finding a Lystrosaurus fossil there is very high.

3) Northern Europe (Norway, Sweden, Finland). This region was not separated by sea and mountains from Eastern Europe.

4) Finally, the territories located between Eastern Europe and China: western Siberia, southern Siberia and Mongolia.

However, you noticed that there are still no finds of Lystrosaurus skeletons from the equatorial part of Pangaea, right? There is no doubt that they lived there, and it is a matter of time before we find them there. I marked "?" suggested places where Lystrosaurus might have lived, but the certainty is not so high. Since scientists believe that El Niño in Panthalassa occurred at the Permian-Triassic boundary, the climate on the western coasts was likely drier than on the eastern. The same thing is observed today: the driest deserts are located in the west of Australia, South America and sub-equatorial Africa. For this reason, I believe that Lystrosaurus lived mainly in the east of Pangea, on the coast of Tethys. Here are the proposed locations:

1) Australia. It was located by south of Tethys and probably had similar conditions to India and Antarctica.

2) New Guinea. It was probably connected to Australia.

3) Eastern territories in central Pangaea: northeastern Africa, Arabia, southern Mediterranean, northern Africa, Spain and eastern North America.

4) Greenland. This region was located in northern latitudes, not far from modern Europe.

5) South China. There is a high probability that it was connected to Northern China.

What do you think about it? Can we really find Lystrosaurus there, or did they inhabit a smaller area?

What clade would Quadrepedal Theropods be most likely to evolve from

And what would Cretaceous Antartica be like in the areas we can't get to?

Used references for the tundra enviorment

When you think of the the continent of Antarctica what do you think of? You might think of a desolate wasteland of ice and snow or penguins and freezing cold weather. But during the early jurassic it had very little ice to no ice on it and warm weather. As it was far from the antarctic circle but close to the equator allowing for life like dinosaurs to evolve there. As we can see here it looks like a tropical paradise at this time in history with Fern trees and other plants. But the paradise is not without predators in this one's case we have the therapod Cryolophosaurus at 6.4 meters long it was one of the largest land predators that existed at that point. Cryolophosaurus is known for its crest between the eyes on top of its head we do not know much of this animal due to the lack of fossils but it was surprisingly agile for an animal so large. We see it rest for now. But it was also home to more then just predators like glacialisaurus one of the last prosauropods to exist. We see the glacialisaurus grazing from fern treetops. But unlike other prosauropods it lived a solitary life. It only really joined together for breeding season and that was it.

A few months later

It is now spring and the glacialisaurus is eating from the branches when a Cryolophosaurus is seen behind it stalking it normally Cryolophosaurus would not go after an adult glacialisaurus but breeding season just ended and the Cryolophosaurus has young to feed so it is willing to take the chance on it as one glacialisaurus can feed it and its young for a while. When it gets close it rushes the glacialisaurus. the prosauropod has ways to defend itself like claws on its front limbs backed up by powerful arms. So the prosauropod rears up on its back legs but the Cryolophosaurus was expecting this and it used it claws to slash the prosauropod on the belly but before the Cryolophosaurus could get slashes in the glacialisaurus throws the Cryolophosaurus into a tree killing the therapod. Cryolophosaurus and the other dinosaurs of Antarctica will slowly drift towards the antarctic circle eventually turning it into a wasteland like today.

Next time we go to late jurassic North America to get a view into the life of the largest predatory dinosaur of the jurassic saurophaganax

I have some favorites, though sometimes I forget or they are subject to change.

Here are some of my favorites, subject to change. Not in any order.

Hypacrosaurus

Saurophagonax

Spinosaurus

Dienonychus

Cryolophosaurus (remains are replica and guess work due to lack of fossils)

Length: 26 feet

Weight: 1,100 pounds

Place of living when alive: Antarctica