• Question: why did dinosaurs die was it because of an meteoroid

    Asked by to Andrei, Ekbal, Gemma, Helen, Ruth on 17 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Helen Gath

      Helen Gath answered on 17 Jun 2014:

      Hi! Thanks for the questions – you’ve picked a pretty awesome animal to ask about 🙂

      How the dinosaurs became extinct has interested scientists for many years, and there is still no definite answer, and still much disagreement between people. I would say that there are two main possible explanation for their extinction, and both are quite probable;
      Theory 1) a giant meteoroid hit the planet with such a massive impact that it cause giant tsunamis which would drown a lot of wildlife. The heat from the impact would have caused fires to blaze everywhere, and the sheer impact of the meteor would have thrown loads of dust particles and material into the sky, not only make the air unclean but possibly making the world a lot darker.
      What supports this theory? A giant crater found in Mexico almost 6 miles wide, and high levels of irridium can be found in the earth layer from the Jurassic times. This element is rare on earth, bu t abundant in space.
      The result? widespread death and devastation, but some animals plants would have survived and slowly colonised the planet once again.

      Theory 2) Climate change! Except the planet got a lot cooler!
      Dinosaurs lived in high numbers when the planet was a warm, tropical place. This was important for dinosaurs as they were cold blooded, which means they got most of their energy from the sun. But evidence shows the earth began to cool and more areas became covered in ice. Not such ideal living conditions for the dinosaurs! So they dies, unable to survive in the new climate.
      What supports this theory? We know the planet went through an Ice Age, but this would have happened so slowly it would have been possible for dinosaurs to adapt and learn to live in the cold.

      Did you know that dinosaurs are still alive today? Crocodiles lived alongside the dinosaurs billions of years ago, and they have survived ever since. And very strangely, birds are thought to have evolved from certain dinosaurs as well!

      Hope this helps, i’m happy to talk about it some more if you like.

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