...pieces, with one large piece detonating about 34 km above the surface, and a second, much larger piece detonating at an altitude of 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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...the transition period between the Cretaceous to Paleogene periods, a large impactor collided with the Earth being the cause of the mass extinction occurred at the K/Pg boundary.” (Hector Javier Durand-Manterola et al., 2014). The K/Pg boundary stands for Cretaceous and Paleogene periods. “In 1991, an international group of researchers proposed that a circular structure between 180 and 200 km, buried under the Tertiary deposits in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, was the crater formed...
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...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 factors that may have played a part in the dinosaur’s extinction and how long the process may have taken. Evidence, observations, and experimentation can serve to support or disprove a hypothesis. Regardless of its acceptance or rejection, through, a good hypothesis provides direction for future scientific...
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...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 in 1980 from the worldwide layer of sediment deposited from the dust cloud that enveloped the planet...
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...Are Homo Sapiens really the smartest species on Earth, and if so, is this sufficient to ensure its long‐ term survival? Submitted by: Andrew Jara Submitted to: Heidi White Course: AST 251H1 Due Date: March 12, 2013 1 As time passes, the Earth and all its inhabitants grow older, one must ask that as the number of inhabitants are increasing and the amount of resources decreasing, whether or not the human race will be able to withstand extinction. The parameters of human intelligence can be used to define and determine the possibility of this outcome. Humans are believed to have the title of being the most dominant and intelligent species on the face of the Earth, but there is much competition for that title today and arguments arise within the scientific community. Humans believe that they are separated from all other species based on the concept of intelligence and how they have used intelligence to their advantage to create language, technology and many other things to ultimately establish themselves as a successful species. In order to actually prove that humans rightfully deserve that title, one must delve into the debate of intelligence to clarify the meaning and understanding of intelligence. This will provide evidence to the argument on whether or not the human species will be viable in the long-term. In the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, intelligence is defined as the ability to collect and apply certain knowledge and information from the external environment...
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...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 in 1980 from the worldwide layer of sediment deposited from the dust cloud that enveloped the planet...
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...include: the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and Permian. Early in the Paleozoic the continents were far apart but moving tectonic plates caused continents to move together into one large continent called Pangaea. Some of the significant geologic events that occurred during the Paleozoic era includes the evolution of a large number of animals, some of which are distant ancestors to modern organisms, between 530 and 520 million years ago. Also during this time period, there was an introduction to animals without backbones (invertebrates). Organisms such as corals, brachiopods, mollusks, and arthropods populated the early and middle parts of the Paleozoic era. A massive extinction event known as “The Great Dying” marked the end of the Paleozoic era. During this mass extinction, as many...
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...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 out 70% of species, known as the ice age. After the ice age, plants, from green algae, developed on land. The marine life diversified, developing placoderms, acanthodians and osteoderms. This did not last for long, for a second massive extinction...
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...ASSIGNMENT #10 – Print this sheet off and turn it in with your lab next week. This sheet of paper goes on top (then the lab). 1) The cretaceous extinction happened when? A) 25 million years ago B) 65 million years ago C) 100 million years ago D) 225 million years ago E) 300 million years ago 2) A fossil is found that is 400 million years old; which era did it come from? A) Paleozoic B) Mesozoic C) Cenozoic D) Precambrian 3) A fossil is found that has 25% of the original amount of carbon-14. How old is the fossil? A) 2,800 years old B) 5,600 years old C) 11, 200 years old D) 15, 780 years old 4) Which of the following is the best example of a population? A) 3 beer cans, a fish, and a piece of dental floss B) All the birds in Costa Rica C) All the insects in the Wildlife Sanctuary D) All the fleas on my two dogs E) All the rocks in my backyard 5) Which of the following is the best example of a geographical barrier to reproduction? A) A small stream between two groups of frogs B) A mountain between two kinds of plants C) Two groups of squirrels, one comes out at night and other during the day. D) Two kinds of lizards that reproduce, but their offspring are not fertile E) Two kinds of turtles whose reproductive parts do not fit properly. 6) Which Era was the longest in time? 7) What is the Cambrian explosion (internet)? 8) What species is “Lucy” and when did she live (internet or book)? 9) What are some theories as to...
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...• English/US • 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...
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...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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...In the following I will discuss the atmosphere of the late Cretaceous (end of the dinosaur era) and how it may have contributed to the extinction events that occurred at the end of this era. I will also discuss how scientists determine the composition of ancient atmospheres. The Cretaceous period was from 145 to 65.5 million years ago. You had the early cretaceous epoch and the late cretaceous epoch. Mass extinction happened and comprised of 80-90% of marine species and 85% of land species, including the dinosaurs. About half of all life-forms died out, including the dinosaurs, pterosaurs, plesiosaurs, ammonites, and many families of fish, snails, sponges, sea urchins (Benton, 2003). The meteor impact inhibited photosynthesis. The atmosphere was filled with dust cloud which blocked the sunlight for at least a year. Sulfuric acid was injected into the stratosphere. This also created a reduction in sunlight to the Earth by 20%. Because the atmosphere was filled with this acid and dust clouds the plant life and small creatures would die off. It takes at least 10 years for the atmosphere to clear itself of these pollutants. An impact such as this can also produce acid rain. There are many animals that can not handle acid rain. Therefore, this would also play a part in extinction of species. (www.tulane.edu). When it comes to how scientists determine the composition of ancient atmospheres, I found the following; “Ages of ice samples found on the Earth cover a span approaching...
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...two distinct categorical sources - historical scientific evidence, and present day observations and corresponding scientific projections or estimates. The historical scientific evidence in question consists of observations of the fossil record around the time of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary mass extinction event (65MYA). There is an observed vacancy or gap of the presence of carbonate shells at the end of the Cretaceous period in the fossil record, that were hugely abundant during the Cretaceous. This coincides with a meteor hitting the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico and causing the renown mass extinction. The geology of this peninsula in Mexico is dominantly cretaceous chalk, and on impact, heat and pressure from the collision released large amounts of gaseous sulfurous compounds (Caldeira, 2007). The mixture of gas, soot, ash and dust released in this enormous impact blocked the sun for possibly up to several months and profoundly interrupted insolation - the incoming solar radiation. This caused the extinction of plants and mammals, and any mammal species larger than a cat, including dinosaurs, were totally annihilated. More significantly noteworthy however, is the corresponding marine species extinction and the collapse of many marine ecosystems at this time. Sulfur dioxide released from the impact formed sulphuric acid clouds in the earths atmosphere. On precipitation, this caused a huge surge...
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...the Permian period (299-251 mya) they had become the dominant land vertebrates. The Permian Period ended with the formation of Pangaea. Reptiles were successful in the interior 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...
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...QXT2 Task 7 Mass Extinctions Over 4.6 billion years ago the earth came into existence and life on earth 3.5 billion years ago. Since the inception of life on earth millions of species have existed, yet large percentages of these organisms have gone extinct leaving few if any remains. The geologist, Hutton and Lyell proposed that the earth is old and the earth changes over time. Change in the earth directly correlates with the organisms that exist on earth. When examining the geologic record it shows periods of mass extinctions created by catastrophic events or gradual changes. The mechanisms believed to have initiated the most significant changes are: meteorites, human activities, oxygen entering the atmosphere, and continent formations. Meteorite impacts have become one of the most accepted theories for extinction events supported by the geologic record. Scientific studies have examined the impact of both small and large collisions between the earth and different sizes of meteorites; which are rock fragments from outside the atmosphere that burn and glimmer...
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