The article discusses the significant differences in climate change during the time of dinosaurs compared to today. While Earth was much hotter during the Mesozoic Era, temperatures increased over millions of years, allowing ecosystems to adapt gradually. In contrast, modern climate change, driven by human activity, has raised global temperatures by over 1 degree Celsius in just two centuries, leading to a rapid crisis.
During the Mesozoic, natural events like volcanic eruptions and continental shifts gradually altered the climate, permitting species to evolve and relocate. For instance, animals could migrate to cooler regions, while others adapted through evolutionary changes.
However, current climate change, exacerbated by industrialization and fossil fuel burning, threatens ecosystems and human health. The rapidity of these changes strains infrastructure and natural systems, leading to longer droughts, more intense storms, and rising mortality rates from extreme heat.
The article emphasizes that while dinosaurs adapted to gradual changes, they could not survive the sudden environmental shifts caused by an asteroid impact 67 million years ago, which led to the extinction of 76% of species, including non-avian dinosaurs.
Source link
