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What group of animals might have been driven to extinction by an asteroid impact 65 million years ago?
Around 65 million years ago, something unusual happened on our planet--and we can see it in the fossil record. Fossils that are abundant in earlier rock layers are simply not present in later rock layers. A wide range of animals and plants suddenly died out, from tiny marine organisms to large dinosaurs.
Species go extinct all the time. Scientists estimate that at least 99.9 percent of all species of plants and animals that ever lived are now extinct. So the demise of dinosaurs like T. rex and Triceratops some 65 million years ago wouldn't be especially noteworthy--except for the fact that around 50 percent of all plants and animals alive at the same time also died out in what scientists call a mass extinction.
A Brief History of Earth
Mass extinctions--when at least half of all species die out in a relatively short time--have happened only a handful of times over the course of our planet's history. The largest mass extinction event occurred around 250 million years ago, when perhaps 95 percent of all species went extinct.
Top Five Extinctions
Cambrian Explosion:
Early life-forms began to flourish. (540 million years ago)
Ordovician-silurian Extinction:
Small marine organisms died out. (440 mya)
Devonian Extinction:
Many tropical marine species went extinct. (365 mya)
Permian-triassic Extinction:
The largest mass extinction event in Earth's history affected a range of species, including many vertebrates. (250 mya)
Triassic-jurassic Extinction:
The extinction of other vertebrate species on land allowed dinosaurs to flourish. (210 mya)
Cretaceous-tertiary Extinction: (65.5 mya)
The Name Game
Scientists refer to the major extinction that wiped out nonavian dinosaurs as the K-T extinction, because it happened at the end of the Cretaceous period and the beginning of the Tertiary period. Why not C-T? Geologists use "K" as a shorthand for Cretaceous. "C" is shorthand for an earlier period, the Cambrian.
Dawn of a New Age
The extinction that occurred 65 million years ago wiped out some 50 percent of plants and animals. The event is so striking that it signals a major turning point in Earth's history, marking the end of the geologic period known as the Cretaceous and the beginning of the Tertiary period.
What else can I help you with?
Can earthquakes cause extinction?
While earthquakes can be destructive, they are unlikely to directly cause extinction. However, they can indirectly contribute to extinctions through tsunamis, landslides, or volcanic activity triggered by the seismic event. Extinction events in Earth's history have been primarily driven by other factors such as asteroid impacts and climate change.
Mass extinctions of marine species are believed to have been caused by which event?
Mass extinctions of marine species are often attributed to significant geological and environmental events, such as volcanic eruptions, asteroid impacts, and drastic climate changes. For example, the Permian-Triassic extinction, the largest mass extinction event, is thought to have been driven by massive volcanic activity that released greenhouse gases, leading to ocean anoxia and acidification. Similarly, the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction is linked to an asteroid impact that caused rapid climate shifts and disrupted ecosystems. These events collectively resulted in the loss of a substantial number of marine species.
How does the current or sixth mass extinction differ from the past five mass extinction events The sixth mass extinction is believed to be caused by human-related factors. The sixth mass extinction is?
The sixth mass extinction differs from the past five primarily because it is driven by human activities, such as habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and overexploitation of species. Unlike previous extinctions that were caused by natural events like volcanic eruptions or asteroid impacts, the current crisis is a result of anthropogenic influences that accelerate species loss at an unprecedented rate. Additionally, the current extinction event is occurring within a much shorter time frame, with species disappearing faster than ever recorded in the fossil record. This human-induced crisis poses significant challenges for biodiversity and ecosystem stability.
Why are dodo's famous?
Dodos are famous because they are an extinct species of flightless bird that lived on the island of Mauritius. They gained notoriety for being easy prey for humans and animals, leading to their rapid extinction shortly after their discovery in the 17th century. Today, they are often used as symbols of human-driven extinction and the consequences of invasive species.
The era had many extinctions because of large variations in climate.?
The era experienced significant climate fluctuations that led to drastic changes in habitats and ecosystems, making it difficult for many species to adapt. These rapid environmental shifts, often driven by factors such as volcanic activity, asteroid impacts, and changing sea levels, resulted in widespread extinctions. Species unable to cope with the altered conditions faced dwindling resources, leading to their decline and eventual disappearance. This cycle of extinction underscores the profound impact of climate on biodiversity throughout Earth's history.
If the mass extinction that occurred 250 million years ago and 64 million years ago may have been due to gradual process or?
The mass extinctions that occurred 250 million years ago (the Permian-Triassic extinction) and 64 million years ago (the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction) likely involved both gradual processes and sudden catastrophic events. The Permian extinction may have been driven by prolonged volcanic activity and climate change, while the Cretaceous extinction is widely attributed to a massive asteroid impact coupled with volcanic eruptions. Both scenarios highlight the complex interplay of environmental stressors and abrupt events that can lead to significant biodiversity loss.
Can earthquakes cause extinction?
While earthquakes can be destructive, they are unlikely to directly cause extinction. However, they can indirectly contribute to extinctions through tsunamis, landslides, or volcanic activity triggered by the seismic event. Extinction events in Earth's history have been primarily driven by other factors such as asteroid impacts and climate change.
Why were Texas Longhorns nearly driven to extinction?
Because so many people hunt them they are about to be driven towards extinction.
Why do you think fermenters have not been driven to extinction by competition with aerobes?
They have not been driven to extinction because there are many other environments that they can exist in.
Why have some endangered aquatic species already become extinct?
Because of our pollution, and how we hunt them as well of lack of food source because of again us , as well their predators may have grown in population again helping drive the species to extinction. and with our growing population only more and more animals as well as aquatic animals will be driven to extinction
Mass extinctions of marine species are believed to have been caused by which event?
Mass extinctions of marine species are often attributed to significant geological and environmental events, such as volcanic eruptions, asteroid impacts, and drastic climate changes. For example, the Permian-Triassic extinction, the largest mass extinction event, is thought to have been driven by massive volcanic activity that released greenhouse gases, leading to ocean anoxia and acidification. Similarly, the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction is linked to an asteroid impact that caused rapid climate shifts and disrupted ecosystems. These events collectively resulted in the loss of a substantial number of marine species.
What plants and animals lived in neanderthal time?
All the wild animals and plants were the same as today, what was missing were the domesticated versions (wolves but not dogs, grasses but not wheat, corn or rice). What is now missing is those animals driven to extinction (dodos, mammoths, passenger pigeons, etc).
What happenend to the dodo bird?
It was driven to extinction by a combination of hunting, predation by non native animals introduced by arriving humans, & destruction of habitat. The last creditable sightings fix the disappearance of the Dodo somewhere between 1688 to 1715
what happen to the dodo bird?
It was driven to extinction by a combination of hunting, predation by non native animals introduced by arriving humans, & destruction of habitat. The last creditable sightings fix the disappearance of the Dodo somewhere between 1688 to 1715
Whats are the causes of extinction?
An animal might be hunted into extinction. Some of the last Australian thylacines were shot to death, though the very last one probably died in a zoo. The passenger pigeon was hunted into extinction. Disease can also wipe out a species. The Tasmanian devils are threated by a face cancer. An asteroid (or comet) impact may have wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. If an animal's food source becomes extinct, or the animal is driven from a key food source, that can cause it to become extinct. Competition for a food source can also lead to extinction, for example, if some other species devours all the food. It was once thought that the dinosaurs may have become extinct because little mammals ate all their eggs. Invasive species may step up competition for resources, driving native species to extinction. Also, extinction may be caused by a combination of these factors.
How does the current or sixth mass extinction differ from the past five mass extinction events The sixth mass extinction is believed to be caused by human-related factors. The sixth mass extinction is?
The sixth mass extinction differs from the past five primarily because it is driven by human activities, such as habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and overexploitation of species. Unlike previous extinctions that were caused by natural events like volcanic eruptions or asteroid impacts, the current crisis is a result of anthropogenic influences that accelerate species loss at an unprecedented rate. Additionally, the current extinction event is occurring within a much shorter time frame, with species disappearing faster than ever recorded in the fossil record. This human-induced crisis poses significant challenges for biodiversity and ecosystem stability.
Why are dodo's famous?
Dodos are famous because they are an extinct species of flightless bird that lived on the island of Mauritius. They gained notoriety for being easy prey for humans and animals, leading to their rapid extinction shortly after their discovery in the 17th century. Today, they are often used as symbols of human-driven extinction and the consequences of invasive species.
