The Triassic is one of the most important periods in the evolution of life on Earth. After one of the greatest mass extinctions 252 million years ago, not only the dinosaurs but also many other groups of terrestrial tetrapods emerged and conquered numerous habitats. Since the early 19th century, the Central European Basin has been a historically important region for the study of the Triassic, and continues to yield a wealth of new spectacular finds. Rock strata and fossils from this period are particularly well preserved in south-west Germany.
An international research team from the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart led by paleontologists Dr. Eudald Mujal and Prof. Rainer Schoch has now presented a comprehensive overview of the Triassic terrestrial tetrapods of the Central European Basin. In this fundamental work, the scientists have analyzed both all known fossilized skeletal remains and footprints together for the first time. Many of the specimens come from the extensive paleontological collections of the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History.
The research, published in the journal Earth-Science Reviews, provides a detailed reconstruction of the Triassic terrestrial tetrapod faunas, their paleoenvironments, ecology and evolution.
The Triassic in south-west Germany
The Triassic covers the period from 252 to 201 million years ago. The area of present-day Baden-Württemberg was a central part of the Central European Basin. The extraordinary abundance of fossils and the extensive outcrops of Triassic rocks of this region make it easy to reconstruct the ecosystems of that time.
“The Triassic is an important window into the past for understanding evolutionary patterns, adaptations and the emergence of ecological niches. 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. Research into the environment and animal communities is extremely exciting for us,” says Dr. Mujal, paleontologist at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart and first author of the study.
Ecology, biodiversity, climate change
Research shows that the Triassic was an important period in Earth’s history, laying the foundations for the development of complex life forms and the terrestrial tetrapod ecosystems as we understand them today. By combining different research approaches, scientists can make far-reaching statements about biodiversity, the ecology of individual species or the changing climatic conditions of the time. At the same time, the large number of fossils studied indicates a greater diversity of terrestrial vertebrates in the Triassic than previously thought.
“We have correlated all the fossil finds with their paleoenvironments. This has allowed us to understand how Triassic tetrapod communities evolved in their environment and how they responded to climate change, for example. 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,” says Mujal.
Important fundamental work for paleontology
The fossil collections of the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart are of worldwide importance and a reference for the study of the Triassic. The recently published review work was made possible by the collaboration of an interdisciplinary research group at the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, in which specialists work on various aspects and tetrapod groups of the Triassic.
“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. 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,” says Prof. Schoch, Head of Paleontology at the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart and senior author of the study.
More information: Eudald Mujal et al, Triassic terrestrial tetrapod faunas of the Central European Basin, their stratigraphical distribution, and their palaeoenvironments, Earth-Science Reviews (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.earscirev.2025.105085
Journal information: Earth Science Reviews
Provided by State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart