Unpredictable Evolution of Dinosaurs
According to paleontologists, it is difficult to predict how dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus would have evolved if the climate and temperature on Earth returned to the conditions of the Cretaceous period. Evolution depends on unpredictability, randomness, and natural selection, guiding life down unexpected paths.
Theories from Stephen Jay Gould
Based on the views of the great American paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould, he wondered how the Earth would have changed if we could restart its life tape through time. He argued that the world today would be different, possibly even significantly different. Evolution is not inevitable, and small random influences can expand life in unpredictable ways each time the life tape is replayed.
Extinction and Reemergence
However, researchers believe that dinosaurs probably would not have returned to Earth. «From the fossil record, we see that extinction is an irreversible process. Species that go extinct do not come back. For example, trilobites never reappeared, even under climate conditions similar to today’s that existed during their peak development in the oceans. And while it is possible that dinosaurs or something similar could have evolved, convergence is a strong factor shaping the development of species under the influence of similar climatic and ecological conditions. For example, how birds (which evolved from dinosaurs) and bats developed wings for flight,» researchers note.
Experts add that in a climate similar to the Cretaceous period, Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops probably could not have evolved again, but other large, cumbersome reptiles could have had that opportunity.
