Why Small Dinosaurs Were Absent

The study reveals that small dinosaurs the size of mice, which were common among early mammals, did not exist notably during the age of dinosaurs. In contrast, mammals and birds evolved within small-sized branches. It is believed that competition with early-emerging small mammals prevented the appearance of small-sized dinosaurs capable of filling similar ecological roles, especially since mammals took over those roles after the extinction of dinosaurs due to the asteroid impact 66 million years ago. Additionally, the evolution of birds from dinosaurs provided them with opportunities to exploit new environments, leading to their appearance at much smaller sizes than their non-avian dinosaur relatives. Environmental factors such as competition, predation, and habitat availability are thought to have played a major role in determining the minimum size of dinosaurs. However, the reasons for the absence of small dinosaurs remain unclear and require further research.

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