Final answer:
During the Triassic Period, the supercontinent Pangaea's configuration influenced the evolution and distribution of life by limiting shallow marine habitats and providing vast land for terrestrial colonization. Diversification and the rise of the first dinosaurs occurred, and the breakup into Laurasia and Gondwanaland led to unique regional biota. Mass extinctions at the end of the Permian and during the Triassic-Jurassic also impacted evolutionary trajectories.
Step-by-step explanation:
Potential Implications of Pangaea on Life During the Late Triassic
The Triassic Period, significant for evolution and biogeography, witnessed critical events in the history of life on Earth. Pangaea's existence during this time influenced the distribution of terrestrial and marine species and set the stage for evolutionary trajectories. Being a vast supercontinent, Pangaea limited coastal habitats, which affected marine biodiversity since shallow coastal areas are rich in marine life. Conversely, Pangaea's configuration offered extensive contiguous land for colonization by terrestrial organisms, such as the first dinosaurs that evolved and filled various niches across the land, air, and water.
Huge seed ferns and conifers dominated the forests, and as the supercontinent began to break into Laurasia and Gondwanaland, unique regional flora and fauna started to emerge. Speciation and diversification of species could occur due to the isolation of populations as this breakup commenced. On the other hand, the end of the Permian period marked by the largest mass extinction preceding the Triassic, wiped out many species, which then provided new adaptive opportunities for surviving lineages during the Triassic.
Environmental changes led to new niches, prompting rapid speciation. However, the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event, possibly caused by climate change, asteroid impact, or volcanic eruptions, brought another wave of extinctions, reshaping life's evolutionary path. Groups that evolved before the breakup of Pangaea were distributed worldwide, while those that evolved post-breakup developed unique characteristics specific to different regions derived from Laurasia and Gondwanaland.