Hypotheses on the Extinction of Dinosaurs Essays -- Exploratory Essays

Hypotheses on the Extinction of Dinosaurs In the early nineteen hundreds, dinosaur fossils were discovered and recognized more or less the globe. Greedy scientists and civilians, searching for their own prize skeleton, rushed to rip drum out of the ground, destroying the fossils as they went. It was not until later in the century that scientists and paleontologists began contemplate how such widespread creatures disappe ared. Currently, paleontologists debate the two main hypotheses of how the classic dinosaurs died from volcanic activeness or an asteroid affect. Although they result in the same outcome, the volcanic and asteroid hypotheses differ in key elements the actual event, the environments stress, and the impact on life.Physical evidence left behind in distributively scenario sustainments each possible explanation for the massive extinction responsible for wiping out the dinosaurs. Scientists that support the volcanic activity hypothesis believe the massive volcanic a ctivity lasted approximately 500,000 years eventually ending dinosaurs reign on earth. The lava flows fill over 480,000 cubic miles, devastating areas over the entire globe. For example, The Decan Trap, a noted site of Cretaceous tectonic activity, is up to 8,000 feet deep, and it averaged between thirty-three and 164 feet deep. Fires raged crosswise the lands. Those that believe in the asteroid impact, on the other hand, project a six mile wide meteorite moved at speeds from 50,000 miles per hour to 150,000 mph and busted into Earths atmosphere at the end of the Cretaceous Period. The sudden impact near the present day Yucatan Peninsula ejected 5,000 cubic miles of debris into the atmosphere and created an temblor of magnitude thirteen sending tidal waves, 250 to 300 feet high... ...sms alike. Conversely, paleontologists backing the asteroid hypothesis guess the massive blast killed nearby animals instantaneously. Creatures on the confrontation side of the world, however, were not so lucky. They were forced to dwell in freeze temperatures until vegetation withered. Herbivores quickly starved to death consequently, carnivores lacked prey. Instead of gradually end off, dinosaurs perished within one generation. Although the two hypotheses of the great extinction come from face-to-face occurrences, in the end the event proved fatal.While paleontologists may neer agree on the true cause of dinosaurs extinction, many people are now speculating mankinds termination. Will mother nature be responsible for our remainder also? Only time will tell. Perhaps in the furthest future, another species will encounter human remains and search for our scar maker.