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For a long time, it was commonly believed that the extinction of dinosaurs was caused by an asteroid collision. However, recent studies have shown that another factor may have had a more significant role than previously assumed.
Approximately 66 million years ago, an asteroid with a diameter of 10 to 15 kilometres collided with the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. This event resulted in widespread destruction, triggering wildfires, earthquakes, and megatsunamis, ultimately causing the collapse of the ecosystem that supported the growth of plants and animals.
According to a recent study from Nature Geoscience, scientists suggest that previous research had overlooked the devastating impact of trillions of tons of dust being expelled into the atmosphere when an asteroid hit, which could have had a significant impact on hundreds of dinosaur species.
The scientists from Belgium theorize that the asteroid triggered a “global winter” by unleashing dark clouds of silicate dust and sulfur, which likely encircled the atmosphere and prevented the sun’s rays from reaching the surface. This resulted in a significant decrease in global surface temperature, estimated to be as much as 15 degrees Celsius.
The absence of light would have made it difficult for plants to survive, leading to starvation among herbivores. This, in turn, would have left carnivores without prey and resulted in a significant decrease of 75 percent of species throughout the food chain.
It was believed that an enormous amount of dust, totaling trillions of tons, had been expelled into the atmosphere.
It is believed that the quantity of dust suffocating the atmosphere was approximately 2,000 gigatonnes, which is over 11 times the weight of Mount Everest.
Scientists conducted computer models using sediment from a fossil location in North Dakota. Their findings suggest that the sediment may have caused a two-year long period of sunlight blockage and could have remained in the atmosphere for 15 years, hindering plant photosynthesis and leading to the collapse of the local ecosystem.
According to the research, the asteroid caused a significant initial impact but did not immediately lead to the extinction of dinosaurs. Instead, it gradually killed them off over a period of several years.
Some scientists posit that the consequences of the asteroid’s impact would be comparable to that of a nuclear bomb detonation on Earth.
According to a study conducted by Professor Cherly Harrison from Louisiana State University, it is anticipated that the release of smoke and black carbon into the atmosphere could result in a “Nuclear Little Ice Age.”
Although the dinosaurs became extinct approximately 66 million years ago in a catastrophic event, their disappearance may have been pivotal in the evolution of the human species.
According to Philippe Claeys, a planetary scientist and co-author of the study, the dinosaurs were thriving on Earth until the meteorite struck.
“Without the influence, my assumption is that mammals – including humans – had limited opportunity to become the most prevalent organisms on this planet.”
Source: independent.co.uk
