Did an asteroid really, really kill the dinosaurs? indy100 indy100 Indy100 logoNewsletter sign upRegister/Sign inTop 100NewsViralPoliticsCelebritiesScience & TechVideoWishlistWishlistBooksFashion & BeautyFood & DrinkHome & GardenKidsSports & FitnessTechTravel & OutdoorsMoreScience & techVideoConversationsSportIdentitiesLifestyleShowbizTVSearchxScience & Tech
Did an asteroid really really kill the dinosaurs
Matthew ChampionDec 13, 2014 Up until 1980, one of the prevailing theories about the causes of the mass-extinction event that saw the dinosaurs wiped out 65million years ago was massive volcanic eruptions. But then iridium, an incredibly rare element usually not originating from Earth, was found in Italy and by the early 1990s a prehistoric impact crater - around 66million years old - was located underneath the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Case closed; a massive asteroid hit Earth, blocked out the Sun and dinosaurs were among 75 per cent of the planet's species to die, and that has been by far the prevailing theory since then. However, a new study, published in Science, claims that the pre-1980 theory might have actually had something to it. Scientists at MIT in the US have re-examined the evidence contained at the Deccan Traps, an area of west-central India that holds a record of one of the largest-ever volcanic eruptions on Earth. They claim that volcanoes there erupted for 250,000 years before the asteroid strike - a geological heartbeat - and 500,000 years after it, all the time spewing poisonous chemicals into the atmosphere and the oceans, not to mention 1.5million square km of lava. Michael Eddy, a graduate student in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS), said: "If models of volatile release are correct, we're talking about something similar to what's happening today: lots of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere very rapidly. "Ultimately what that can do is lead to ocean acidification, killing a significant portion of plankton - the base of the food chain. If you wipe them out, then you'd have catastrophic effects." The new, more precise dates for the volcanic eruptions at the Deccan Traps led the scientists, which also included teams at Princeton University, the University of Lausanne and Amravati University in India, to conclude they played a "significant role" in the extinction of the dinosaurs. Sam Bowring, the Robert R Shrock Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at MIT, added: "I don't think the debate will ever go away. "The [asteroid] impact may have caused the extinction. But perhaps its effect was enhanced because things were softened up a bit by the eruption of these volcanoes." More: [A new dinosaur has been discovered and it's really, really big]1 Quiz: [What type of dinosaur are you?]2Keep reading...Show less Climate activists complain for not being given a ' bowl to defecate' in
Could ' adults-only' TikTok feature turn it into the new OnlyFans
Scientists shocked as black hole burps up star years after eating it
Please log in or register to upvote this article Top 100
Man endures ' 29 hour flight' with screaming kids for the entire trip
flightplanechildflightOct 12, 2022 How likely is it that Boris Johnson could be prime minister again
Boris Johnsonboris johnsontory leadership contesttory leadership racetory leaderTory leadershiptory leadershipConservativesconservative partyConservative Partyconservative leadership raceconservativesBoris JohnsonOct 21, 2022 The Rocky career of Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnsonthe rockblack adamwweDwayne JohnsonOct 21, 2022 Lorraine Kelly hits out at Madonna' s ' boiled egg' face
madonnamadonnalorraine kellygmbshowbizplastic surgeryOct 11, 2022 Elon Musk is actually selling a ' Burnt Hair' fragrance
elon muskthe boring companyperfumeelon muskburnt hairOct 12, 2022 Jon Stewart slams Arkansas attorney general for her ' anti-trans law'
lgbt+transgenderlgbt+jon stewartapple tvarkansasus newsnewsOct 11, 2022 Every time Keir Starmer mercilessly roasted Liz Truss at PMQs today
liz trussLiz Trusspmqsprime ministerprime minister's questionspoliticskeir starmerliz trussOct 19, 2022 Keir Starmer makes hilarious swipe at Liz Truss' new ' book title'
keir stamerkeir starmerliz trusspmqsLiz Trussprime ministerpoliticskeir stamerOct 19, 2022 Just Stop Oil protester praised for ' great' explanation of soup stunt
just stop oilOct 19, 2022 Couple spark debate for ' scandalous' wedding cake topper
wedding cakeOct 12, 2022 Love Island star shows extent of how far influencers edit photos
Love IslandOct 11, 2022 Steven Seagal describes Putin as one of ' greatest world leaders'
steven seagalOct 10, 2022 Lizzo wears empowering shirt after being fat-shamed by Kanye West
lizzoOct 10, 2022 Ranking every modern prime minister' s resignation speech
prime ministerOct 20, 2022The Conversation (0)