the earliest dinosaur?

Linnaeus

Here's an article concerning the re-evaluation of Nyasasaurus, which is now considered by many to be the oldest known dinosaur. So, did the dinos originate in Africa?

www.businessinsider.com/nyasasaurus-parringtoni-oldest-dinosaur...

Adam Khor

There really was no Africa back then, as all continents were joined together. I figure they may have originated anywhere and go everywhere they wanted, unless there was a big natural barrier keeping them from spreading about (such as a huge desert in the middle of the landmass or tall mountain ranges, but I think Pangaea was supossed to be very flat, right?)

Linnaeus

Obviously I meant the territory which is now the African continent. Surely even the various zones of Pangaea had their own climatic and environmental peculiarities. As China, much later on, seems to have especially favoured the evolution of avialids and early birds, so the land which would later become the semi-deteched African continent may have possessed certain characteristics favourable to the development of that brave new tribe: the primitive dinosaurs.

Species destined to have long futures and to thrive do frequently make their first appearance in particularly well-protected, flourishing geographical zones.

Adam Khor

Linnaeus wrote: »

Obviously I meant the territory which is now the African continent. Surely even the various zones of Pangaea had their own climatic and environmental peculiarities. As China, much later on, seems to have especially favoured the evolution of avialids and early birds, so the land which would later become the semi-deteched African continent may have possessed certain characteristics favourable to the development of that brave new tribe: the primitive dinosaurs.

Species destined to have long futures and to thrive do frequently make their first appearance in particularly well-protected, flourishing geographical zones.

I don't think we can say that China "favoured the evolution of birds". The reason most early birds and feathered dinos come from the Liaoning is that the conditions were right for fossilization of even the most delicate skeleton (not only birds but also mammals, lizards, even insects). So it gives a misleading impresión that these creatures were particularly abundant here, and rare or absent elsewhere.

There was a study recently about what seems to have been a sort of Ice Age during the Jurassic. I think this may have kickstarted the appearance of truly fuzzy and feathered dinos including early birds. But it would have affected much of the world's, not just China.