It has been a long-standing debate among scientists: What really caused the extinction of dinosaurs? The widely known theory is that a giant asteroid the size of a mountain collided with Earth 65 million years ago. The asteroid went on to wipe out dinosaurs, as well as 70% of Earth’s species. But, research is now suggesting that the asteroid alone likely didn’t lead to the dinosaurs’ demise.
According to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, there’s a significant correlation between changes in climate and dinosaur extinction. This research could have far-reaching implications for our understanding of climate change and its effects on animal populations.
We’ll explore the theory of why the dinosaurs are extinct and also look at the asteroid impact theory and whether, according to new research on dinosaurs, climate change wiped out these massive creatures.
Death From Above: Why Are the Dinosaurs Extinct?
Scientists believe a 6-mile-wide asteroid collided with Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula coast, resulting in the 110-mile-wide Chicxulub crater. The hit created a chain reaction of natural disasters spanning thousands of miles, including fires, tsunamis and earthquakes. For many years, lethal gas, dust and soot clogged the atmosphere, shutting out the sunlight and preventing plant photosynthesis. And while some animal species survived the aftermath, three-quarters of Earth’s species, including dinosaurs, were wiped out.
Recent research findings have uncovered hard evidence tying dinosaur extinction to climate change, particularly climatic cooling. On March 21, 2022, a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggested that climate change may have played a role in the extinction of Earth’s species.
