An Analysis On What Truly Killed The Dinosaurs
What really killed the dinosaurs? This question has plagued man since the first fossils were discovered. Scientists have given many theories on what brought extinction of so many species of animals and plants millions of years ago ranging from an asteroid impact to volcanism. The reason there are so many ideas on what wiped them out is because none have given all the information to explain the downfall of these creatures. There are so many ideas out there that people are unsure which one to believe and therefore brings all the controversy to this topic.
The most widely accepted theory, the asteroid theory, explains that approximately 65 million years ago an asteroid impacted near the
coast of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. According to PBS, this collision led to significant amounts of dust rising into the air and blocking off the sun's rays which dramatically decreased the temperature across the globe. After this period of freezing temperatures, green house gasses increased the temperature much higher than before the impact. These two periods
of extreme temperatures is believed to have wiped out up to 70% of all plants and animals on Earth. Evidence of this theory comes from the crater off the Yucatan Peninsula, iridium found in the crater which for the most part exists only in asteroids, patterns in crystals similar to those from asteroid impacts, and records of fossils dating large amounts of deaths in a short period of time. Another popular theory is that all the frequent volcanic eruptions pushed so much ash and gas into the atmosphere that it prevented sunlight from reaching land which took energy away from species everywhere. One of the other theories mentioned by Britannica is that these species of animals and plants were not able to adapt to new conditions which therefore didn't give them the necessary tools to survive which led to their decease.
All of these theories provide evidence supporting them and give logical explanations which brings the question; how can there be so many accepted ideas?
In my opinion and the opinion of countless others, the asteroid impact theory is what killed so many dinosaurs and plants 65 million years ago. The staggering amount of information supporting this idea is overwhelming and provides accuracy towards nearly all aspects. However, it does not give evidence on the death of so many marine species. This is one of the key points that disproves this theory. Also, this massive impact of the asteroid hitting Earth could have eliminated photosynthesis which would be the death of all the plants and animals. Even though the asteroid impact theory explaining how so many dinosaurs died has its flaws, it also has overwhelming evidence supporting it which is why myself and many scientists believe that a large asteroid led to the death of up to 70% of all species on our planet 65 million years ago.
Pictures from Time Magazine and National Science Foundation
The most widely accepted theory, the asteroid theory, explains that approximately 65 million years ago an asteroid impacted near the
coast of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. According to PBS, this collision led to significant amounts of dust rising into the air and blocking off the sun's rays which dramatically decreased the temperature across the globe. After this period of freezing temperatures, green house gasses increased the temperature much higher than before the impact. These two periods
of extreme temperatures is believed to have wiped out up to 70% of all plants and animals on Earth. Evidence of this theory comes from the crater off the Yucatan Peninsula, iridium found in the crater which for the most part exists only in asteroids, patterns in crystals similar to those from asteroid impacts, and records of fossils dating large amounts of deaths in a short period of time. Another popular theory is that all the frequent volcanic eruptions pushed so much ash and gas into the atmosphere that it prevented sunlight from reaching land which took energy away from species everywhere. One of the other theories mentioned by Britannica is that these species of animals and plants were not able to adapt to new conditions which therefore didn't give them the necessary tools to survive which led to their decease.
All of these theories provide evidence supporting them and give logical explanations which brings the question; how can there be so many accepted ideas?In my opinion and the opinion of countless others, the asteroid impact theory is what killed so many dinosaurs and plants 65 million years ago. The staggering amount of information supporting this idea is overwhelming and provides accuracy towards nearly all aspects. However, it does not give evidence on the death of so many marine species. This is one of the key points that disproves this theory. Also, this massive impact of the asteroid hitting Earth could have eliminated photosynthesis which would be the death of all the plants and animals. Even though the asteroid impact theory explaining how so many dinosaurs died has its flaws, it also has overwhelming evidence supporting it which is why myself and many scientists believe that a large asteroid led to the death of up to 70% of all species on our planet 65 million years ago.
Pictures from Time Magazine and National Science Foundation
