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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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Did the breakup of Pangaea have a effect on dinosaur extinction?

No, the breakup of Pangaea occurred long before the mass extinction of dinosaurs. The main factor believed to have caused dinosaur extinction is an asteroid impact that occurred around 66 million years ago.


Was it a meteor or an asteroid that killed the dinosaur's?

scientists don't know, it could have been loss of food, they probably ate dead ones until nothing was there, or a disease got in plants an poisoned the plant eaters and a carnivore came by and ate it, it died, and it continued.


What is the name of the fallen asteroid?

The fallen asteroid is often referred to as the Chicxulub impactor, named after the location of its impact on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. This asteroid impact is believed to have contributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs around 66 million years ago.


What was the alvarez asteroid theory?

The Alvarez hypothesis proposes that the mass extinction of dinosaurs was caused by a large asteroid impact on Earth. The impact released massive amounts of debris and dust into the atmosphere, blocking sunlight and leading to a drastic cooling effect that disrupted the global climate. This theory is widely accepted as a major factor in the extinction event that occurred about 66 million years ago.


Element traced to the extinction of the dinosaurs?

The element that has been linked to the extinction of the dinosaurs is iridium. High levels of iridium have been found in sediment layers around the world from the time of the dinosaur extinction, suggesting that it may have come from an asteroid impact.

Related Questions

Did the breakup of Pangaea have a effect on dinosaur extinction?

No, the breakup of Pangaea occurred long before the mass extinction of dinosaurs. The main factor believed to have caused dinosaur extinction is an asteroid impact that occurred around 66 million years ago.


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.


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 era ended with a massive impact?

The Mesozoic era ended with a massive impact caused by an asteroid hitting Earth, leading to the extinction of the dinosaurs.


Was it a meteor or an asteroid that killed the dinosaur's?

scientists don't know, it could have been loss of food, they probably ate dead ones until nothing was there, or a disease got in plants an poisoned the plant eaters and a carnivore came by and ate it, it died, and it continued.


What is the name of the fallen asteroid?

The fallen asteroid is often referred to as the Chicxulub impactor, named after the location of its impact on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. This asteroid impact is believed to have contributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs around 66 million years ago.


What was the alvarez asteroid theory?

The Alvarez hypothesis proposes that the mass extinction of dinosaurs was caused by a large asteroid impact on Earth. The impact released massive amounts of debris and dust into the atmosphere, blocking sunlight and leading to a drastic cooling effect that disrupted the global climate. This theory is widely accepted as a major factor in the extinction event that occurred about 66 million years ago.


Element traced to the extinction of the dinosaurs?

The element that has been linked to the extinction of the dinosaurs is iridium. High levels of iridium have been found in sediment layers around the world from the time of the dinosaur extinction, suggesting that it may have come from an asteroid impact.


What do scientists believe caused the extinction of dinosaurs. One answer only?

Scientists primarily believe that the extinction of dinosaurs was caused by a catastrophic asteroid impact, specifically the Chicxulub impact event around 66 million years ago. This event likely led to drastic environmental changes, including wildfires, tsunamis, and a "nuclear winter" effect that drastically altered the climate. Additionally, volcanic activity from the Deccan Traps may have contributed to the extinction by releasing massive amounts of gas, further destabilizing the environment. Together, these factors created conditions that many species, including the dinosaurs, could not survive.


What may have caused the first mass extinction 65 million years ago?

The leading theory for the first mass extinction 65 million years ago is a catastrophic event such as an asteroid impact. This event is believed to have led to environmental changes that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and many other species.