...Dinosaur extinction is still a major mystery of earth history. In this review article, extinctions in the geological record will be briefly mentioned. Many of the imaginative theories for the extinction of the dinosaurs will also be presented. Within the uniformitarian paradigm, the meteorite impact theory, once considered ‘outrageous’, now is the dominant theory. However, the volcanic theory is still believed by a majority of paleontologists. Both theories have their strengths and weaknesses. The unscientific behavior of those involved in the meteorite paradigm change will be briefly explored. Evidence that the dinosaurs died in a cataclysm of global proportions will be presented, such as the huge water-laid dinosaur graveyards found over the earth. Occasional nonspecific bone-beds and the rarity of fossils of very young dinosaurs suggest a catastrophic death and burial. The billions of dinosaur tracks recently discovered provide testimony to unusual, stressful conditions. Nests, eggs, and babies are a challenge to a Flood model, but there are enough unknowns associated with the data that solid conclusions are difficult to draw. The part that impacts and volcanism play in a Flood paradigm will be briefly discussed. The question of whether the K/T boundary and the extinction of the dinosaurs should be considered a synchronous event within the Flood will be considered. Introduction Dinosaurs bring wonder to children and adults alike. That such great beasts once roamed the earth...
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...Kayla Salcedo Mrs.Harkin Science If the asteroid didn't hit earth how would we be affected by it? For many years scientists have studied mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs over 65 million years agohttp://www.universetoday.com/118633/it-looks-like-an-asteroid-strike-cant-cause-a-worldwide-dinosaur-killing-firestorm/ Research shows that vast global firestorms could have been the main cause of extinction http://www.universetoday.com/118633/it-looks-like-an-asteroid-strike-cant-cause-a-worldwide-dinosaur-killing-firestorm/ vast energy released a 15 km wide asteroid slamming into earth which was also around the time dinosaurs were extinct http://www.universetoday.com/118633/it-looks-like-an-asteroid-strike-cant-cause-a-worldwide-dinosaur-killing-firestorm/...
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...base for living things. I decided to write about the evolution and extinction of dinosaurs because the whole idea of a species so majestic, large and powerful getting completely wiped out is somewhat of a disturbance to me. I felt that if something had wiped out an entire race of living things, then, it is a possibility that it could happen again, maybe to our own species. Dinosaurs, being one of the most exciting creatures to roam the earth are a part of what we call ‘evolution’. It is a simple and obvious fact that Dinosaurs did not suddenly come into existence two hundred million years ago. Like all living things, they evolved, slowly and gradually, from creatures that roamed the earth before them. These former creatures were primitive reptiles known as the Archosaurs. Archosaurs were not so different from dinosaurs except for the large difference in size, etc. Some Paleontologists believe that all dinosaurs evolved from one kind of Achosaur, the Lagosuchus, a quick but small reptile that lived in the forests of the early Triassic period. The Permian Extinction opened up huge swaths of evolutionary territory for the Archosaurs, some of which evolved over tens of millions of years into the dinosaurs we know and love today. As is the case with all species, the slow, winding path taken by dinosaur evolution depended on a variety of factors, including climate, competition, and the availability of food. Dinosaurs, although being extremely interesting, are but one group of animals...
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...Reading section measure your ability to understand academic passages in English. You will read one passage and answer questions about it. In a real test, you would have 20 minutes to read the passage and answer the questions. Candidates with disabilities may request a time extension. Meteorite Impact and Dinosaur Extinction There is increasing evidence that the impacts of meteorites have had important effects on Earth, particularly in the field of biological evolution. Such impacts continue to pose a natural hazard to life on Earth. Twice in the twentieth century, large meteorite objects are known to have collided with Earth. 5 If an impact is large enough, it can disturb the environment of the entire Earth and cause an ecological catastrophe. The best-documented such impact took place 65 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous period of geological history. This break in Earth’s history is marked by a mass extinction, when as many as half the species on the planet became extinct. While there are a dozen or more mass extinctions in the geological record, the Cretaceous mass extinction has always intrigued paleontologists because it marks the end of the age of the dinosaurs. For tens of millions of years, those great creatures had flourished. Then, suddenly, they disappeared. The body that impacted Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period was a meteorite with a mass of more than a trillion tons and a diameter of at least 10 kilometers. Scientists first identified this impact...
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...Answers • Store • Outreach • Media • Kids • Education • Donate • Answers in Genesis • Answers • Animals • Dinosaurs • Dinosaur Extinction • The Extinction of the Dinosaurs The Extinction of the Dinosaurs by Michael J. Oard on August 1, 1997 Share: • • • • Originally published in Journal of Creation 11, no 2 (August 1997): 137-154. Shop Now First published: TJ (now Journal of Creation) 11(2):137–154 August 1997 by Michael J. Oard Dinosaur extinction is still a major enigma of earth history. In this review article, extinctions in the geological record will be briefly mentioned. Many of the imaginative theories for the extinction of the dinosaurs will also be presented. Within the uniformitarian paradigm, the meteorite impact theory, once considered ‘outrageous’, now is the dominant theory. However, the volcanic theory is still believed by a majority of palaeontologists. Both theories have their strengths and weaknesses. The unscientific behaviour of those involved in the meteorite paradigm change will be briefly explored. Evidence that the dinosaurs died in a cataclysm of global proportions will be presented, such as the huge water-laid dinosaur graveyards found over the earth. Occasional monospecific bone-beds and the rarity of fossils of very young dinosaurs suggest a catastrophic death and burial. The billions of dinosaur tracks recently discovered provide testimony to unusual, stressful conditions. Nests, eggs, and babies are a challenge...
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...The extinction of dinosaurs can be seen as a lot of speculation. In “Sex, Drugs, Disasters, and the Extinction of Dinosaurs” Stephen Jay Gould explains how “science, is a fruitful mode of inquiry, not a list of enticing conclusions.” (Gould, 216). What makes something speculation and not science, which of the three theories are speculation, and what makes Gould question the theories. In “Sex, Drugs, Disasters, and the Extinction of Dinosaurs” Gould explains the differences of science and speculation. Science starts with a hypothesis and from there the scientist looks for evidence to back up his or her hypothesis. This evidence helps give the hypothesis validity and also allows other scientists to test said hypothesis. Gould states that “We can never be completely sure that a...
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...What killed the dinosaurs Introduction: It is one of the greatest puzzles in paleontology. For more than 150 million years, dinosaurs rule the Earth. They were so successful than other animals groups, mammals included, had little change of taking over. Then, 65 million years ago, the dinosaurs disappeared from the world altogether. Did they meet a quick and catastrophic end, or did they fade away gradually? What happened 65 million years ago? In the search for answers to what killed the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous Period in the Mesozoic Era, scientists have looked beyond fossils. Geological evidence also holds clues and has led to many hypotheses, working explanations, of how dinosaurs may have become extinct. The extinction mystery is far from a simple “whodunit.” The same piece of evidence is sometimes subject to multiple interpretations. And, as yet, there is no obvious answer, no piece of evidence that strongly supports only one hypothesis while showing that all others are incorrect. So what do we know about dinosaur extinction, and how do we know it. Evidence: Scientific evidence and observations are the building blocks of hypotheses. At first the same evidence and observations may support different hypotheses. As more evidence becomes available, some hypotheses are proven, others are disproved, and new ones are formed. Hypotheses: A dinosaur extinction hypothesis is a testable statement describing...
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...of Pangaea because of the arid climate that they were adapted to; however, the end of the Permian period and included the mass extinction of many species previously alive, including many reptiles. The reason for this extinction has not yet been uncovered. The Mesozoic era (251-66 mya) that ensued is known as the Age of Reptiles due to the fact that reptiles that survived the mass extinction thrived in all ecological roles left absent by dead species. Crocodile-like reptiles called thecodonts evolved into dinosaurs. Dinosaurs dominated all terrestrial life approximately 150 mya ago beginning 235 mya. With the first appearances of dinosaurs came the deformation of Pangaea. The different landmasses harbored differing climates, which killed species of dinosaurs that could not adapt and encouraged the growth of dinosaurs that could. Dinosaurs from different eras were rather unlike and have differing theories surrounding the causes for their extinction. These dinosaurs include the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Dinosaurs. “The oldest known dinosaurs fossils are in rocks from the early Triassic period, about 235 million years ago. By the end of the Triassic, small carnivorous dinosaurs were very common and had largely replaced the thecodonts.” (Holt, Biology, 820) Furthermore, there are several causes that contributed to the success of dinosaurs: dinosaurs were faster and more lithe runners than the thecodonts because of their bipedal legs, they possessed useful adaptations to the...
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...Mesozoic towering dinosaurs and extended hominid human family. The unique fossils, concrete interactive displays and recreated sea and terrestrial landscapes help the compelling story of evolution- the single process that connects everything that has ever lived on earth. Evolution of life on Earth occurred 4.5 billion years ago, the Precambrian Eon. This Eon makes up ninety percent of Earth’s history. Organic compounds were the building blocks on Earth; two theories exist of how these forms came to be; they may have formed on Earth, through underwater thermal vents, or carried to Earth through meteorites. What followed, were prokaryotes, single celled organisms, and eukaryotes, multi-cellular organisms. The development of prokaryotes caused transformations to Earth, through the process of photosynthesis, which allowed for the development of oxygen in our atmosphere. Through Eukaryotes, natural selection was possible, due to genetic variation. During the Paleozoic era, which occurred 543 million years ago, there was an explosion of life, which led to the wide variation of life that we see today. Throughout this period there was a significant outburst in marine life. As time evolved, skeletons had evolved structurally, which allowed for larger bodied organisms to grow. Their chemical composition includes the minerals calcium and phosphate. Although evolution allowed for new adaptations, they weren’t significant enough to withstand the first extinction on Earth, which wiped...
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...Extinction . As Dead as a Dodo! For every species that is alive today, perhaps a thousand more have lived previously and become extinct. Most of these extinctions occurred before humans evolved, and the species are known to us only through fossils The Dodo The dodo was a large (50 lb) flightless bird that lived on Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean. It lived undisturbed for so long that it lost its need and ability to fly. It lived and nested on the ground and ate fruits that had fallen from trees. The island was uninhabited and the dodo had no natural predators. Then Mauritius was colonised in 1638. Dodos were hunted for food and easy to catch because they were not afraid of people. New competitors were brought onto the island (including pigs, cats and rats). These competitors ate the dodos' eggs in their ground nests and also ate the dodo’s young. The last dodo was killed in 1681. Answer the following questions using information from the text: 1. What was the dodo? 2. Out of the four causes of extinction we have learnt about, which two caused the extinction of the dodo and why? 3. When did the last dodo die? Dinosaurs There are many theories as to how the dinosaurs became extinct. Keep in mind that there is no absolutely proven theory. Asteroid Theory According to this theory a large asteroid or comet collided with Earth about 65 million years ago. Scientists think that such a large collision would throw so much dust into the air that sunlight would not...
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...approximately 21 km” (Tagliaferri, 1998). Scientists were lucky to record this data via satellite to study the force an asteroid can have when impacting firsthand. There is evidence of asteroid impacts covering the surface of the earth and other surrounding planets in space. There are also many theories involving asteroid impacts causing mass extinctions on Earth, the most common being the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago (deGrasse Tyson, 2005). Most of the impact evidence shows that the earth has been attacked by these asteroids since its formation billions of years ago. Evidence all around us tells us that the Earth will be struck, and another major asteroid impact will occur. The most common and highly argued impact event is the one that may have wiped out the dinosaurs. This event in itself has many theories, but the one common element in most sound dinosaur extinction theories is that a major impact event occurred around the same time the dinosaurs stopped roaming the Earth. Most of the scientific community agrees that an asteroid impact did destroy the dinosaurs. Some scientists; however, claim that the dinosaurs were dying off well before the asteroid strike, due to climate changes, and that the impact only “finished them off” (Archibald, 2005). This very well could be...
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...Dinosaurs never seize to amaze paleontologists, researchers, and science in general in the modern world today. The gigantic creatures (up to thirty feet long, ten feet tall and weighed up to twelve tons) that once walked and ruled the face of the earth millions of years ago have fascinated the human race for centuries. This does not come as a surprise, the existence of such amazing, larger than life beings gives insight and a sense of wonder to people. Dinosaurs were known to have roamed the Earth millions of years ago with their existence proven by fossil discoveries of archaeologists throughout the world. One of the most recognized dinosaurs is the Triceratops, the herbivore dinosaur known for its three horns and frill. The fossils can hardly be missed on this dinosaur, with the horns, deep, bold cheek bones and large size. The Triceratops’ skull was 1/3 the length of its entire body. This enormous, stocky creature was said to have evolved from a smaller but related species that was recently found in China. The fossil remains date to the very end of the Cretaceous period, right before the meteor impact. So, they were one of the last dinosaurs standing before the extinction. The Triceratops proved to be an interesting dinosaur as its extinction still raises questions at present times today. The first named specimen of the Triceratops was found near Denver Colorado in 1887. Originally the bones were believed to belong to a particularly large and unusual bison, but then later...
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...million years ago, dinosaurs began to evolve after the period the Permian extinction. dinosaurs began to develop and grow throughout the Triassic period, and were seen as a great threat to other living creatures around them. However, about 66 million years ago, dinosaurs became extinct near the end of the Cretaceous period due to a huge comet or asteroid that struck the face of the earth. This area, at the time, was under water but is today known as modern day Mexico. Dinosaurs had first began to evolve from a species known as the archosaurs. Archosaurs were Triassic reptiles and were much smaller than the later species of dinosaurs. These Triassic reptiles carried certain features that were much different from the species that they had evolved into. They had a much different posture, almost as if they were “locked in”...
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...Dinosaurs of the Jurassic Period Jurassic Period- 206-144 mya • Took place roughly 210 million years ago. • Lasted around 70 million years • This was the second(middle) period of the three divisions of the Mesozoic era. • Age of the Dinosaurs, first bird life. Bower proclaimed that the "Triassic period began about 20 million years ago, and the Jurassic period began 210 million years ago"(1986). During the Mesozoic, or "Middle Life" Era, life diversified rapidly and giant reptiles, dinosaurs and other monstrous beasts roamed the Earth. The period, which spans from about 252 million years ago to about 66 million years ago, was also known as the age of reptiles (Ghose 2013). There is little supporting evidence that plant life is truly from the early Jurassic time frame, however, Brannan's research suggests "At the beginning of the Jurassic period the Earth saw the disappearance of seed-fern floras but the gymnosperms and true ferns were thriving"(Brannan 2012). Early Jurassic- The Liassic Epoch (176 to 200 mya) • Brought much warmer/wetter rainforest climate • Marine reptiles evolved such as, Ichthyosaurus, Temnodontosaurus, Euycleidus. • Terrestrial animals made an appearance such as the Stegosaurs, Tetanurae, Berberosaurus, Heterdonosaurids. In the Early Jurassic, the Colorado Plateau region again became arid and the eolian sandstones record zonal as well as monsoonal circulation (Parrish 1993). Following the dramatic decline, ichthyosaur diversity increased...
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...huge new life form of flying dinosaurs called Pterosaurs became known. (Birds: The Late Evolution of Dinosaurs)These dinosaurs had wings of skin stretched between an enormously elongated finger and its flanks. Pterosaurs were known as the first vertebrates to take flight. About 150 million years ago, Pterosaurs were joined in the air by a more aerodynamic, featured creature, known as the bird. When the oldest known bird fossil of the Archaeopteryx was found, in the 1860s, a lot of controversy began over the evolution of birds and their relationship to dinosaurs. The Archaeopteryx had three toes armed with claws and long,...
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