The Chicxulub asteroid was the biggest dinosaur killer.
Sixty-six million years ago, an asteroid, estimated to be nearly nine miles wide, collided with Earth. This impact event, now known to have occurred at Chicxulub in the Yucatan Peninsula, triggered a mass extinction that eradicated approximately three-quarters of plant and animal species on Earth, including most dinosaurs.
Here's a breakdown of the impact and its consequences:
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The Impact: The sheer force of the impact caused immediate and widespread devastation.
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Megatsunamis: The collision generated a massive "megatsunami" with initial wave heights exceeding one mile.
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Global Fallout: The impact ejected massive amounts of dust, debris, and sulfur into the atmosphere. This material blocked sunlight, leading to a dramatic drop in global temperatures and disrupting plant photosynthesis.
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Long-Term Effects: The prolonged darkness and cooling caused widespread plant die-off, which in turn decimated herbivore populations, followed by carnivores. The combination of immediate destruction and long-term environmental changes proved catastrophic for the dinosaurs and many other species.
| Event | Description |
|---|---|
| Chicxulub Impact | Collision of a large asteroid with Earth |
| Mass Extinction | Wiping out most of the dinosaurs and three-quarters of the planet's plant and animal species |
| Environmental Changes | Blocking Sunlight, Global Cooling, Plant Die-off |
The Chicxulub asteroid impact event remains the leading explanation for the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, effectively making it the biggest dinosaur killer.
