In a new study, researchers from the University of Bristol have discovered a major factor in the evolution of large herbivores that existed between 66 million and 23 million years ago. The researchers found that the evolution of large herbivore species was driven by the availability of fossil fuels, rather than climate change, as previously believed. This research sheds light on the evolution of herbivores in the past, and may even have implications for the future of herbivore diversity.

The study was conducted by analyzing the fossil records of over 500 large herbivore species. The researchers compared the abundance of fossil fuels in different regions with the diversity of large herbivore species in those regions. They found that the availability of fossil fuels was a major driver of species diversity, with more fossil fuels leading to more species. This suggests that fossil fuels, rather than climate change, were a major factor in the evolution of large herbivore species.

This research is an important step in understanding the history of large herbivore evolution. It also suggests that fossil fuels may play a role in the future of herbivore diversity, with the availability of fossil fuels influencing the diversity of herbivore species.

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source: Phys.org