A newly published review of 252-million-year-old fossils from southwest Germany is offering a deeper understanding of life’s rebound following the Permian-Triassic extinction, the most devastating biological crisis in Earth’s history.
A Fossil-rich Window Into Triassic Life
The research, published in Earth-Science Reviews, consolidates both fossilized skeletons and trackways from the Central European Basin, with a strong focus on Baden-Württemberg. It marks the most comprehensive review to date of Triassic terrestrial tetrapod faunas in this region, integrating multiple research angles across paleontology, stratigraphy, and ecology.
Led by Dr. Eudald Mujal and Prof. Rainer Schoch from the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, the team emphasizes the significance of the Triassic period as a pivotal stage in the emergence of major vertebrate groups.
“The Triassic is an important window into the past for understanding evolutionary patterns, adaptations, and the emergence of ecological niches” said Dr. Mujal. “Terrestrial tetrapod communities are particularly fascinating. The rise of the dinosaurs began in the Triassic, there were already predecessors of modern mammals, and predatory crocodile relatives encountered giant amphibians”.
Predators, Pioneers, And Evolutionary Experiments
Among the standout fossils examined is Batrachotomus kupferzellensis, an agile predator related to modern crocodiles. This pseudosuchian, measuring up to six meters, bore long upright limbs and serrated blade-like teeth, adapted to hunt animals such as the massive amphibian Mastodonsaurus in swampy, horsetail-lined environments 240 million years ago.
The study also reconsiders the iconic Plateosaurus, one of the earliest large sauropodomorph dinosaurs, which roamed the region 210 million years ago during a warm, arid climate phase. Sites in Stuttgart-Degerloch and Trossingen have yielded significant fossils of this genus, revealing an early evolutionary step toward the later giant, long-necked dinosaurs.
Another significant find is a clustered fossil of 22 aetosaurs in Stuttgart-Kaltental. These armored archosaurs, distant relatives of crocodiles, were omnivores and widely distributed during the Late Triassic.
Reconstructing Ecosystems And Environments
The review goes beyond skeletal remains by including fossilized trackways and footprints, which help contextualize the behavior and movement patterns of these ancient animals. Correlating fossils with paleoenvironmental data, the team has reconstructed how Triassic tetrapod communities responded to climate and ecological shifts over time.
“We have correlated all the fossil finds with their palaeoenvironments. This has allowed us to understand how Triassic tetrapod communities evolved in their environment and how they responded to climate change, for example,” said Mujal.
“Our results can also serve as a model for present-day ecosystems. A comprehensive overview of a geological period, like the Triassic, can also help us to assess the long-term consequences of climate change and biodiversity loss today,” he added.
From Museum Collections To Global Insight
Much of the material reviewed comes from the State Museum of Natural History’s extensive collections, which continue to serve as a reference for Triassic research worldwide. The interdisciplinary nature of the project allowed for a wide-ranging synthesis of both new and historical data.
“Our team has analyzed all the relevant fossils and geological strata of the Triassic in southern Germany and other parts of Europe for this important project, combining different research approaches,” explained Prof. Schoch.
“ At the same time, a comprehensive literature review was carried out. Overall, the publication makes an important contribution to our understanding of the history of the Earth and the evolution of its organisms.”
