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  • Scientists Explain How Asteroid Impact Led To Dinosaur Extinction

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    Scientists say asteroid impact caused dinosaurs to die out 66 million years ago. Asteroid hit earth, causing tsunamis, earthquakes, acid rain and volcanic eruptions. Researchers: smaller number of herbivores, effects of asteroid may have caused extinction.

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    scientists explain how asteroid impact led to dinosaur extinction

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    Scientists say asteroid impact caused dinosaurs to die out 66 million years ago. Asteroid hit earth, causing tsunamis, earthquakes, acid rain and volcanic eruptions. Researchers: smaller number of herbivores, effects of asteroid may have caused extinction.

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    44 vues2 pages

    Scientists Explain How Asteroid Impact Led To Dinosaur Extinction

    Transféré par

    api-283894138
    Scientists say asteroid impact caused dinosaurs to die out 66 million years ago. Asteroid hit earth, causing tsunamis, earthquakes, acid rain and volcanic eruptions. Researchers: smaller number of herbivores, effects of asteroid may have caused extinction.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    ScientistsExplainHowAsteroidImpactLedToDinosaurExtinction

    ByJonathanTilly

    The

    September21,2014

    StegosaurusandtheAllosaurusaretwodinosaursthatroamedtheearthmillionsof
    yearsago.
    Mostscientistsagreethatdinosaursbecameextinctafterahugeasteroid(spacerock)
    strucktheEarth.Now,aninternationalteamofresearchersthinkstheycanshow
    exactlywhytheasteroidcauseddinosaursdiedout.
    DinosaurslivedontheEarthformorethan160millionyears.Thereweremorethan
    1,000speciesoflandbaseddinosaurs,livingallovertheworld.Butthedinosaurs
    disappearedverysuddenlyabout66millionyearsago,soonaftertheasteroidhitthe
    Earth.Scientistscallthisamassextinction,whichmeansmanyspeciesdiedoutina

    veryshorttime.
    Theresearcherswantedtounderstandbetterwhythishappened.Theystudiedalloftheinformationthathadbeen
    gatheredoverthepast20yearsonclimatechange,sealevelsandvolcanoesinthelateCretaceousperiodthetimejust
    beforetheasteroidstrucktheEarth.
    Theyalsolookedatdinosaurbiodiversityforthatperiod.Biodiversityisthenumberofdifferentspeciesofanimalsor
    plantslivinginanareaatonetime.
    Bystudyingfossils,theresearchersdiscoveredthatthepopulationsoflargeherbivores(planteatingdinosaurslike
    triceratops,duckbillsandankylosaurus)hadgottenmuchsmallerbythelateCretaceousperiod.
    Theresearchersdonotthinkthatthedinosaurswereslowlydyingoff.Animalpopulationssometimesgetbiggeror
    smallernaturallyforawhile,andeventuallygobacktotheirusualsize.Thenumberofplanteatingdinosaursprobably
    wouldhaveincreasedagainiftheasteroidhadnothittheEarth.
    Buttheresearchersdothinkthatthesmallernumberofherbivorescombinedwiththeeffectsoftheasteroidwaswhat
    causedthemassextinctionofdinosaurs.
    Whentheasteroidstruck,itcausedbigchangesontheEarth.Itleftacraterabout200kilometerswideintheareathatis
    nowMexico.Theimpactcausedtsunamis(hugewaves)intheoceansandearthquakesaroundtheworld.
    Firesstartednearthecrater.Gaseswerereleasedintotheatmosphere,causingcoolertemperaturesandacidrain.Ahuge
    cloudofdustfilledtheair,blockingoutthesunslightandwarmthandcausingmanyplantstodie.
    Fewerplantsmeanttherewaslessfoodforplanteatingdinosaurs.Becausetherewerealreadyfewerherbivores,thelack
    offoodcausedthemtodieoffquickly.
    Thisledtowhattheresearcherscallcascadingextinctions.Thatmeansthat,asdinosaursatthebottomofthefoodchain
    diedout,thedinosaursthatpreyedonthemalsobecameextinct.Theeffectswerefeltallthewayupthefoodchain,tothe
    largestmeateatingdinosaurs.
    Theasteroidimpactwipedoutabout80percentofthespecieslivingonEarthinthelateCretaceousperiod.Mammals
    werealsoaffectedespeciallylargerspecies,orthosethathadspecializeddiets.Butthosethatsurvivedbegantoincrease
    andspreadrapidlyafterdinosaursbecameextinct.Morespeciesemerged,untileventuallymammalsbecamethedominant
    animalsonEarth.
    SteveBrusanette,apaleontologistatEdinburghUniversityinScotland,wasoneoftheresearchersinvolvedinthestudy.
    Hebelievesthatiftheasteroidhadhitafewmillionyearsearlierorlater,whentheplanteatingdinosaurpopulationwas
    atanormallevel,thedinosaursprobablywouldnothavegoneextinct.

    Ifthathadhappened,saysBrusanette,mammalswouldnothavehadthechancetothriveandevolvethewaytheydid,and
    humansmightnotevenexist.

    Name:__________________________

    Date:________________

    Comprehension Questions
    1. How did dinosaurs become extinct?

    2. What kind of information did scientists study to understand why dinosaurs went
    extinct?

    3. What kind of changes happened on Earth after the asteroid hit? Identify at least three.

    4. How does this asteroid hitting Earth at this specific time benefit you?

    5. Why is it important to learn about asteroids, comets, and meteors?

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