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An analysis of dinosaurian biogeography: evidence for the existence of vicariance and dispersal patterns caused by geological events

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Upchurch, Paul, Hunn, Craig A, Norman, David B·2002·Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences
DOI 10.1098/rspb.2001.1921PMC PMC1690931
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Abstract

As the supercontinent Pangaea fragmented during the Mesozoic era, dinosaur faunas were divided into isolated populations living on separate continents. It has been predicted, therefore, that dinosaur distributions should display a branching ('vicariance') pattern that corresponds with the sequence and timing of continental break-up. Several recent studies, however, minimize the importance of plate tectonics and instead suggest that dispersal and regional extinction were the main controls on dinosaur biogeography. Here, in order to test the vicariance hypothesis, we apply a cladistic biogeographical method to a large dataset on dinosaur relationships and distributions. We also introduce a methodological refinement termed 'time-slicing', which is shown to be a key step in the detection of ancient biogeographical patterns. These analyses reveal biogeographical patterns that closely correlate with palaeogeography. The results provide the first statistically robust evidence that, from Middle Jurassic to mid-Cretaceous times, tectonic events had a major role in determining where and when particular dinosaur groups flourished. The fact that evolutionary trees for extinct organisms preserve such distribution patterns opens up a new and fruitful direction for palaeobiogeographical research.

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Metadata

Authors
Upchurch, P., Hunn, C. A., & Norman, D. B.
Affiliations
University of Cambridge (GB)
Corresponding author
Upchurch, Paul
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences
Publisher
The Royal Society
Published
2002-03-22
Volume
269
Issue
1491
Pages
613-621
ISSN
  • 0080-4649 (ISSN-L)
  • 0962-8452
  • 1471-2954
DOI
10.1098/rspb.2001.1921
PMC
PMC1690931
OpenAlex
W2138742181
Cited by
210
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 14
FWCI
7.08
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • reroDoc Digital Library (submittedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge
  • University of Oxford
  • Natural Environment Research Council
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Plant Diversity and Evolution
Keywords
dinosaur biogeography, vicariance, dispersal, plate tectonics, paleogeography, cladistic biogeography, time slicing, Mesozoic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, regional extinction, fossil distribution
MeSH terms
Animals, Disasters, Geography, Models, Biological, Phylogeny, Dinosaurs

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: An analysis of dinosaurian biogeography: evidence for the existence of vicariance and dispersal patterns caused by geological events. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1098/rspb.2001.1921
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Upchurch, P., Hunn, C. A., & Norman, D. B. (2002). An analysis of dinosaurian biogeography: evidence for the existence of vicariance and dispersal patterns caused by geological events. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2001.1921