• Question: what do you think really caused the extinction of dinosaurs and the other living things that went extinct with them?

    Asked by 07quiambaoj to Alastair, Emma, Hywel, Keith, Vicki on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Keith Brain

      Keith Brain answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      I do think that the asteroid collision theories ( that an asteroid collided with the earth and changed the environment so radically that the dinosaurs weren’t able to adapt fast enough to survive) is probably right. There is geological evidence for a collision at about the right time , and we know from the effects of volcanoes that lots of particulate matter in the atmosphere can change climate. These changes the left room for us mammals (who are better at regulating body temperature) to survive.

    • Photo: Hywel Vaughan

      Hywel Vaughan answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      There are obviously varying theories about what killed off the dinosaurs – some tend to go with the ‘meteorite strike’ option, others with the ‘super volcano’ theory. Honestly, I am not sure which (if any) of these I go along with. Like a lot of theories about early life on this planet, there is not any definitive answer, only a lot of theories. I do prefer the idea of a meteorite strike rather than a volcano though – it is a tad more optimistic, as hopefully we will know if we are to be struck by an object travelling through space, but it is hard to predict super volcanoes! 😀

    • Photo: Vicki Stevenson

      Vicki Stevenson answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      I probably go with the asteroid collision theory but there are several theories and I don’t think anyone knows for sure one way or the other.

    • Photo: Emma Carter

      Emma Carter answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      probably a dramatic change in climate due to some catastrophic event

    • Photo: Alastair Sloan

      Alastair Sloan answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      The most popular theory is that a large meteorite collided with the Earth causing disruptions to the planet such as volcanoes, tidal waves and earthquakes. There was also thought to be massive climate changes and the resulting drops in temperature combined with the other natural disasters meant that life could not be sustained on the planet and most creatures died. What else went extinct with them I don’t know, but as a result the mammals started to dominate the planet when it became habitable again

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