justaevolvedchimp1784376036

233 million years ago, it started raining. It did not stop for two million years. It is known as the Carnian Pluvial Episode. A string of massive volcanic eruptions flooded the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, turning the planet into an endless, humid monsoon. Vast deserts turned into sprawling swamps. Entire marine ecosystems collapsed. But in the mud and the endless rain, one obscure, marginal group of reptiles found exactly what they needed. Early dinosaurs used those two million years of rain to rapidly diversify. When the skies finally cleared, they had conquered the Earth.