ChicxulubImpact
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Scientists to drill into asteroid impact that wiped out dinosaurs
There's plenty of evidence to indicate that a gigantic asteroid likely wiped out the dinosaurs (and many other forms of life) when it smacked into what's now the Gulf of Mexico roughly 65.5 million years ago. However, what happened shortly afterward remains something of a mystery... or at least, it will until this spring. By April 1st, a scientific expedition will start drilling into the Gulf's Chicxulub impact crater to study how life recovered following the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period. The team will be looking for DNA samples, microfossils and rock type changes at different geologic layers to gauge both the effect of the impact and how lifeforms carried on in the hostile post-impact environment.
Asteroid hit and volcanoes linked as suspects in dinosaur extinction
Ah majestic dinosaurs, your oversized bodies and tiny brains may have been doomed no matter what. But, that asteroid that wiped out all of the giant lizards may have had some volcanic help. According to a new paper published in Science, the Chicxulub impact may have accelerated volcanic activity and helped to release toxic gas from a massive (200,000 square miles massive) lava lake in India known as the Deccan Traps. The researchers point out that the impact didn't cause the geologic activity (like the sea of melted metal) but it's likely that it intensified the situation. That one-two punch of asteroid impact and volcanoes could be the reason why 66 million years ago 70 percent of species on the planet were wiped out. Researchers stated that after the events it could have taken 500,000 years for the Earth's ecosystem to bounce back. The study could also reconcile the volcano versus asteroid extinction theory. Either way, pour out some Tricerahops for our fallen friends, the dinosaurs. [Image credit: Getty Images]
