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The asteroid collision theory, which was brought to wide attention in 1980 by Walter Alvarez and colleagues, links the extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous period to a bolide impact approximately 65.5 million years ago.

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14y ago
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14y ago

I have heard that they speculate that when the asteroid hit the earth, it sent massive clouds of dust into the air. This led to the sunlight being blocked out and the oncoming of the ice age which in turn killed the dinosaurs.

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12y ago

This theory was thought up by Walter Alvarez in the 1980's.

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13y ago

in the Phanerozoic eon mesozoic era and Jurassic period

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11y ago

the asteroid hit the earth to start a new race many million years ago and the new race was humans

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Q: How did scientists link the impact of an asteroid to the extinction of the dinosaurs?
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What was the alvarez asteroid theory?

Briefly, the theory is that the mass extinction which included the loss of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period was caused by the impact of a large asteroid.


What is one type of catastrophic change that can cause a mass extinction?

One type of catastrophic change that can cause a mass extinction is an asteroid impact. When a large asteroid collides with the Earth, it can release massive amounts of energy, cause widespread destruction, trigger tsunamis and wildfires, and create a global "impact winter" due to the release of dust and debris into the atmosphere. Such an event is believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.


Was the extinction of dinosaurs caused by a metoerite crashing to earth?

Most dinosaurs died off about 65 million years ago. Most life on Earth ended 65 million years ago during what is called the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. There is substantial scientific evidence of an asteroid or comet impact on Earth that caused or was the primary contributor to the extinction. A few scientists still hold other views, including a massive eruption of volcanoes. See related links.


The asteroid impact theory of the extinction of the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago the dinosaurs and over half of all the other species on the earth at that time died off largely because?

dust injected into the stratosphere from the impact absorbed visible light from the Sun, causing global temperatures to plummet.


When did the Cretaceous Tertiary extinction occur?

About 65.5 million years ago. The Cretaceous and Tertiary are geological time periods either side of this event. The event is significant because there was a large mass extinction event at this time including the extinction of all non avian dinosaurs. Most experts agree that the cause of the extinction was a asteroid impact.

Related questions

Why do you think there are no dinosaurs now explain?

The dinosaurs all died out. A major catastrophe, probably an asteroid impact, caused their extinction.


How does the theory of asteroid impact relate to the extinction of Dinosaurs?

I does not. The asteroid would of had to knock out the entire earth for that to happen. If you think of the facts it is just not possible.


What was the alvarez asteroid theory?

Briefly, the theory is that the mass extinction which included the loss of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period was caused by the impact of a large asteroid.


Do scientists really know what happend to the dinosaurs?

Science doesn't really work like that; but there is good evidence that a major asteroid impact happened shortly before the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. To complicate the story slightly, the dinosaurs had been declining before the asteroid hit - so it may be the asteroid may have speeded an existing process. There is also good evidence that modern birds are descended from dinosaurs.


What did they called that wipe out the dinosaurs?

The extinction event that wiped out dinosaurs is called the Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction Event (K-T Extinction, for short... Yes, that is supposed to be a K). The crater left by the asteroid impact is called the Chixculub crater.


What is one type of catastrophic change that can cause a mass extinction?

One type of catastrophic change that can cause a mass extinction is an asteroid impact. When a large asteroid collides with the Earth, it can release massive amounts of energy, cause widespread destruction, trigger tsunamis and wildfires, and create a global "impact winter" due to the release of dust and debris into the atmosphere. Such an event is believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.


Need a sentence using 'extinction'?

A meteor impact caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.


How do you use the word mass extinction in a sentence?

We are still not sure what caused the mass extinction of the dinosaurs, though an asteroid impact seems to be the popular theory.Scientists believe we may be heading towards another mass extinction event.


Was the extinction of dinosaurs caused by a metoerite crashing to earth?

Most dinosaurs died off about 65 million years ago. Most life on Earth ended 65 million years ago during what is called the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. There is substantial scientific evidence of an asteroid or comet impact on Earth that caused or was the primary contributor to the extinction. A few scientists still hold other views, including a massive eruption of volcanoes. See related links.


What impact does extinction have on your world?

Well, the extinction of the dinosaurs makes it a lot easier for people to survive.


Where did the comet that killed the dinosaurs land?

It is widely accepted that one asteroid with a 6 mile diameter crashed in the Yucatan Peninsula, leaving the Chixculub Crater. However, there are some scientists who believe that there were multiple asteroid impacts at the end of the Mesozoic. Possible other craters include the Boltysh in Ukraine, the Silverpit in the North Sea, and the much more controversial Shiva crater in the Indian Ocean. Some scientists believe that the Chixculub impact predated the extinction of the dinosaurs, and that they were actually wiped out by the Shiva impact.


The asteroid impact theory of the extinction of the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago the dinosaurs and over half of all the other species on the earth at that time died off largely because?

dust injected into the stratosphere from the impact absorbed visible light from the Sun, causing global temperatures to plummet.