Why was the diet of Parasaurolophus less focused on flowering plants (angiosperms)?
Answer
Angiosperms were not as diverse or widespread during the Campanian stage.
During the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous period when Parasaurolophus lived in North America, flowering plants (angiosperms) were present in the environment. However, they had not yet achieved the dominance and widespread diversity they would later exhibit. Consequently, the staple diet necessarily relied upon more ancient, structurally resilient vegetation, specifically the ferns, cycads, and conifers, which were more abundant or readily available in mass quantities to meet the high caloric demands of such a large herbivore.
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