The distribution of the tetrapods was not uniform during the late Triassic period—even though Pangea was a huge connected landmass. The major reason for this non-uniform distribution was the very pronounced climate zones over the very large continental landmass. The equator had a narrow, humid zone; humid temperate climates existed from around 50 degrees north and south latitudes to the poles. In between, at approximately 30 degrees north and south latitude, were wide arid zones.

The distribution of tetrapods followed these climatic variations. For example, the prosauropods, a group of dinosaurs that included the Plateosaurus, had a range roughly corresponding to the temperate zones in both hemispheres; prosauropods shared this area with large amphibians. Phytosaurs, distant relatives of the crocodiles, were limited to the Northern Hemisphere and the coastal regions of the Southern Hemisphere. And some tetrapods, such as rauisuchians, crocodylomorphs, and aetosaurs, were distributed over all of Pangea.