Persistent Wind and Turbulence as Higher-Order Selective Pressures in Mesozoic Evolution: An Integrative Hypothesis Linking Pangaean Climate, Plant Proxies, and Dinosaur–Bird Transitions

This preprint presents an integrative hypothesis proposing that persistent wind and turbulent atmospheric conditions during the Mesozoic functioned as higher-order environmental selective pressures shaping large-scale biological evolution. Starting from the paleogeographic and paleoclimatic configuration of the Pangaean supercontinent, the study reconstructs the physical plausibility of sustained continental-scale airflow and frequent turbulence. Plant structural traits, including trunk thickness, branch flexibility, needle-leaf morphology, wind pollination, and spore dispersal, are interpreted as long-term physical proxies of repetitive wind stress. These botanical indicators are then integrated with morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations observed across dinosaurs, pterosaurs, early birds, mammals, insects, and aquatic organisms. Rather than proposing wind as a singular causal factor, this work situates persistent wind and turbulence as higher-order regulators operating alongside established evolutionary drivers. The hypothesis is explicitly framed as testable and falsifiable, providing structured pathways for future paleoclimate modeling, biomechanical analysis, and fossil-based validation.