Saturday 6 March 2010

Confirmed: Dinosaur Extinction Caused By Asteroid


A new study has confirmed an asteroid impact ended the reign of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. The finding by an international team of 41 researchers was published yesterday in the journal Science.

Fossil records clearly show a mass extinction event across the planet 65 million years ago, in which 70 per cent of known species suddenly vanished. The idea that an asteroid was responsible for the end of the age of the dinosaurs was first proposed 30 years ago. The first clue was the discovery of large amounts of the element iridium - rare on Earth but common in meteorites and asteroids - appearing in a layer across the globe.

5 comment(s):

Anonymous said...

Confirmed? No.

The study shows that the best available evidence suggests that the dinosaurs were wiped out by an asteroid. Unless time travel is invented, however, it is unlikely that it will ever be confirmed.

Tech said...

I think it's far from confirmed.

Kate Delaney said...

If this is true then this is really terrifying because earth might be struck by another asteroid leading to the extinction of human beings
Oops sorry for thinking fast, first thing is first, to prove that this actually happened.

Anonymous said...

I recall reading about the iridium layer a while ago...memory fuzzy, but I think I heard something about finding the impact crater in Yucatan.

Anonymous said...

Hmm that's amazing but actually i have a hard time visualizing it... wonder what others have to say..