What do we know about the extinction of dinosaurs?
An asteroid is believed to have struck the Earth, causing a mass extinction 66 million years ago. This asteroid struck our planet at the end of the Cretaceous period, thereby ending the dinosaur era. Palaeontologists, on the other hand, are still discussing whether the dinosaur population was already declining before the asteroid hit Earth. According to new research, the population of dinosaurs was declining even before the impact.
What does the new research say?
Researchers from China found that dinosaur populations in central China were decreasing long before the extinction event. The researchers studied more than 1,000 fossils of dinosaur eggshells and eggs from the Shanyang Basin in central China, which led them to discover a reduction in the dinosaur population in that area.
This research supports the theory that dinosaurs were already on the way to extinction long before the asteroid struck Earth.
What was the reason for the decline of the dinosaur population?
The dinosaur population declined due to global climate change and massive volcanic eruptions. Geological events, such as the Deccan Traps in India, might have caused the population decline.
The Deccan Traps are located in Western India. It was formed 66 million years ago when molten lava burst from deep below the Earth, cooled, and hardened. As a result of this volcanic activity, massive amounts of carbon dioxide were released into the atmosphere, causing global warming. The eruptions also released harmful chemicals, resulting in acid rain, further harming the environment. Temperatures may have also dropped as a result of ash and dust blocking sunlight. All of these might have led to the population decline of dinosaurs. What do you think about dinosaurs? What would it be like if they were still alive?
