A single, gigantic asteroid slammed into Earth 65 million years ago, dooming the dinosaurs and many other species, scientists said on Thursday in a new study rebutting theories that multiple impacts did the deed.
Dinosaurs and asteroid relationship has long been a foundation of debate in the scientists community. Scientists have long suspected that an asteroid led to the demise of dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Researches also suggest that an earlier impact 251 million years ago might have allowed dinosaurs to evolve in the first place.
However, the history of dinosaurs and asteroids became further tangled today with the announcement that an impact from a gigantic asteroid rock 65 million years ago may have eliminated the giant reptiles that once dominated the planet.
What ever might have happened but I think here’s a new concept for Steven Spielberg to work on.
There are a lot of theories about why this K-T (Cretaceous-Tertiary) extinction occurred, but the theory again in talks was initially proposed in 1980 by physicist Luis Alvarez and his son Walter Alvarez.
The new study again points out that the impact would have penetrated the Earth’s crust, scattering dust and debris into the atmosphere, and causing huge fires, generated surely by hot debris thrown from the crater, tsunamis, severe storms with high winds and highly acidic rain, seismic activity, and perhaps even volcanic activity.
The birds suffered losses but survived the furious activity that was going on during this period, it’s hard to believe but have to. In addition, there’s more, the mammals made it through as well, allowing these warm-blooded, furry little creatures to eventually dominate the land and ultimately setting the stage for the rise of human beings.
Via: CNN
