Figure 4: The Fauna of the Late Cretaceous in Mongolia (there is an Oviraptor in the foreground and a couple of Velociraptors chasing Protoceratops in the background).

The world climate during the Cretaceous was quite warm and was ice free due to the good circulation of the water. This circulation prevented the build-up of cold pockets of water and allowed the water to flow freely. The Cretaceous was an important time in the history of plants, with a great evolutionary radiation in the flowering plants. Dispersal mechanisms for the fertilized seeds evolved. Conifers were complemented by deciduous leaf forests and magnolias and other members of the varied angiosperms.