For many years geologist had bunch of theories as to how the dinosaurs died. Dinosaurs roamed the earth for 160 million years until their sudden demise about 65.5 million years ago, an in event known as the cretaceous tertiary extinction event, according to History.com. They had a few vast ideas like the Gamma Ray Burst Theory, the Asteroid Theory, and the Climate Change theory. But yet there isn’t much proof on what really killed the dinosaurs. There were other not so good theories that geologist and other scientist used like the when the smaller dinosaurs ate other dinosaurs eggs and that reduced the dinosaurs reproduction growth. Another theory was that dinosaurs body's became too big for their small brains and they couldn't operate right. …show more content…
The asteroid theory is probably one of the most well known theories. In 1991, a massive meteor crater 110 miles in diameter was found off the edge of the yucatan peninsula, continuing to the coast of mexico. It was called the chicxulub crater. Scientist believe that the meteor that made the crater was about 6 miles in diameter, and struck the earth at 40,000 miles per hour, and released 2 million times more energy than the most powerful nuclear bomb ever detonated. The heat from it broiled the earth's surface, and sent wildfires all over the earth. Also it is most likely that it plunged the earth's atmosphere into a dark mixture of debri and ash covering everything in darkness. Mile high tsunamis washed over the continents and major shock waves would have caused volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The atmosphere would have been filled with tons of dust and ash that it would have made earth uninhabitable. All the plants would have died from no sunlight so the herbivores wouldn’t be able to eat so there would be less of them and there wouldn’t be many more dinosaurs to eat so carnivores wouldn't be able to eat and the air would cloud up and the dinosaurs wouldn't be able to breath. The Asteroid theory is what makes the most …show more content…
For many years climate change was the most credible explanation for the dinosaurs demise. The dinosaurs thrived in the humid, tropical temperatures and weather of earth. But then in the late mesozoic era that corresponds with the dinosaurs extinction, some evidence shows that the planet slowly became cooler. And evidence also shows that the north and south poles became covered with ice causing the ocean to colder than normal. Because the dinosaurs were cold blooded(meaning they obtain body heat from the sun and the hot, humid air) they could not survive the new colder temperatures and thus died, but climate change would have taken tens of thousands of years giving the dinosaurs time to adapt. So the Climate theory doesn't make much sense.
So agreement over dinosaur extinction is far from unanimous, and fossil’s continue to be found that adds to the knowledge about how dinosaurs lived and died. The climate change theory still holds sway over some scientist, that refute that the chicxulub impact was the major reason for the dinosaurs extinction. Some evidence from the 65-million-year-old lava flows in india hint that a giant, gaseous volcanic plume might have initiated global climate change that threatened and killed the dinosaurs. Scientist continue to research and make more conclusions on what killed
However, asteroids are much more deadly. If over-sized meteor can wreck buildings and injure people, then a normal sized asteroid can easily wipe out species if it lands in the right place. As mentioned before, asteroids are much bigger than meteor and much more rare. According to the “Mail Online” 12,000 years ago some type of asteroid slammed into the Northern Canada and some scientist believe that wiped off the mammoths and caused the “Younger Dryas”. Another famous event of asteroids striking, that many scientist believe, was around 65 million years ago asteroids rained and killed of all the dinosaurs 75% of all the life on earth.
The question of what caused the extinction of megafauna during the Late Pleistocene period is one that archaeologists have struggled to answer for decades, but why should it matter? Discovering with certainty the cause of megafaunal extinction would simultaneously prove or disprove any of the proposed implications of each existing theory regarding this massive extinction.
Dinosaurs were first believed to be cold-blooded because they were thought to be related closely to reptiles which are cold-blooded creatures. Cold-blooded animals don’t actually have “cold” blood, instead they rely on the temperature from their environment to regulate their own body temperature. They do this by taking advantage of external heat by basking in the sun, and by lying in the shade to cool down. A more correct term is “ectothermic” which means “heat from outside.” On the other hand, a warm-blooded animal creates heat internally by chemical reactions inside their body. They are able to regulate their body temperature internally instead of relying on their environment. Author of the article, “Dinosaurs: Warm or Cold Blooded?” Beverly Eschberger explains, “endothermic animals have a continually high requirement for food to fuel the heat generation. Providing they can find food their constantly-optimum body temperature means that they can stay active even when it is very cold” (par 3). Even though it was believed that dinosaurs were closely related to cold-blooded reptiles, most dinosaurs had similar behaviors of a bird which is a warm blooded animal. Believing dinosaurs were warm blooded would help explain the reason why dinosaurs were so dominant and plentiful for such a long period of time. There are many other factors that play a vital role in ...
Because dinosaurs are animals that lived millions of years ago, we are entirely dependent on the fossils that they have left behind for any understanding that we hope to gain. As any paleontologist will tell you, fossil hunting is difficult. There are no certainties, no guarantees. A certain amount of luck is as valuable as any scientific knowledge.
We use dinosaurs to represent the changes in nature that have occurred throughout time. Studies found that although the “oldest rock did not show evidence of life, the progression of plant and animal life that changed in recognizable intervals, from ancient life, age of reptiles to the age of mammals” (Dino Nature Metaphor, slide 6), measured the age of the earth. When we think of dinosaurs in relation to nature, we think of that very powerful force that controls the cycle of life. Nature was able to yield such magnificent ferocious creatures that walked the earth and then take them back when they served nature’s purpose. Dinosaurs fit perfectly in nature’s constant
Armageddon begins by showing the destruction of the Earth by an asteroid 65 million years ago, when the dinosaurs inhabited the earth. According to the narration, the asteroid is said to have been six miles wide, with the power of 10,000 nuclear weapons. The after effects were trillions of tons of dirt and rock thrown into the atmosphere, creating a blanket of dust that the sun was unable to penetrate for 1,000 years. The narrator explained that it happened once, and that it would happen again, it was only a matter of when.
Gould’s article, “Sex, Drugs, Disasters and the Extinction of Dinosaurs” begins with an introduction and foreshadowing statement. Gould then develops the body of the article by analyzing each theory for the extinction of dinosaurs. He then states what Science is and then backs up the reason why. Gould then concludes by showing that the theory that natural disasters caused the extinction of dinosaurs, and how this theory has spread and the other fascinating research this led
The debate of whether dinosaurs were cold blooded or warm blooded has been ongoing since the beginning of the century. At the turn of the century scientists believed that dinosaurs had long limbs and were fairly slim, supporting the idea of a cold blooded reptile. Recently, however, the bone structure, number or predators to prey, and limb position have suggested a warm blooded species. In addition, the recent discovery of a fossilized dinosaur heart has supported the idea that dinosaurs were a warm blooded species. In this essay, I am going to give supporting evidence of dinosaurs being both warm and cold blooded. I will provide background information on the dinosaur that was discovered and what information it provides scientists.
“Sex, Drugs, Disasters, and the Extinction of Dinosaurs” is written by Stephen Jay Gould, professor of geology and zoology at Harvard. This essay is one of more than a hundred articles on evolution, zoology, and paleontology published by Gould in national magazines and journals. It tells about scientific proposals for the extinction of dinosaurs – a confusing but an exciting problem that humanity tries to solve. By analyzing and describing each of the claims for the reptiles’ demise – sex, drugs, and disasters – Gould differentiates bad science from good science and explains what makes some theories silly speculations, while the other, a testable hypothesis.
In the article, Debunking the Myths of American Corrections, Jeffery Ross discusses myths that have formed within the general population. Some may consider these myths contradictory, while others perceive them as factual. Ross presents and utilizes multiple sources in order to support his criticism in the categories of the predominant myths that have manifested in society.
The most significant event of the Cretaceous era came at its end. Nearly 65 million years ago, the second most severe mass extinction in earth’s history occurred. This resulted in the loss of around 80% of species living at the time. Though nowhere near as severe as the end-Permian mass extinction, the end-Cretaceous extinction is the most well known mass extinction event. This is due to the violent event that caused it the extinction, as well as the chapter of earth’s history that it closed: the Dinosaurs. The Cretaceous Event ( often shortened to K-T event) Of the animals that were killed off were the flying reptiles (pterosaurs) and the last few mosasaurs and plesiosaurs, both early marine reptiles. Many mollusks and species of microscopic plankton were killed. Terrestrial plants suffered mass extinction as well. Almost 60% of terrestrial plants were lost. This led to high extinction rates among insect populations, especially insects that were highly specialized to feed on just a few types of plants had it the worst. It took approximately 9 million years for the global insect populations to recover from the Cretaceous extinction. Immediately after the extinction, the earth saw an explosion of short term species who respond well to fire, or other external disturbance. Evidence of the catastrophe comes from a thin rock layer deposited worldwide just after the impact. It is dominated by fossil plants whose descendants recover quickly after fires of other disturbances, such as Fire Weed in Alaska. The causes of the Cretaceous extinction are still being debated by paleontologists. Scientists agree that the main cause of the extinction was a...
Several mass extinctions have occurred during the Earth’s history. The Cretaceous – Tertiary Boundary (K-T) Extinction caused the loss of at least three-quarters of all species known at that time including the dinosaurs. The cause of this mass extinction is a controversial subject among scientists but the fossil evidence of it’s occurrence is abundant.
seems like it happened so sudden, as geologic time goes, that almost all the dinosaurs
Parental care is any form of child rearing behavior that increases the quality of life, gives love and shows guidance to an offspring. Over time, scientists have questioned if dinosaurs cared for their young. Prior to any research, I have zero knowledge on the issue. However, I would assume that most dinosaur mothers would have cared and looked after their offspring’s. When I initially think of dinosaurs, I think of mean ruthless creatures that like to attack and eat anything that comes in its way.
The Jurassic Period of our earth’s history was one of great change. It began with a major extinction even, bounced back, and was yet again the victim of an extinction event. The Jurassic was a flourishing time of new species adapting, changing, and modernizing to suit the ever-changing world they