The era of the dinosaurs was ended by the big bang that occurred after the collision with the asteroid. At least, that is the opinion of scientists. It happened about 66 million years ago, and the consequences led to the death of three out of four plant and animal species worldwide, ending the dominance of the dinosaurs.

According to the fossil record, the moment of the big bang is reflected by the contents of a distinct layer of sediment called the Cretaceous and Paleogene limit (K-Pg). Science Alert told us whether an asteroid similar to the one that killed the dinosaurs could fall to Earth.

Sedimentary rocks are very thin, but even a few centimeters can hold information about tens of thousands of years. For decades, paleontologists have assumed that the loss of dinosaur species was relatively gradual, but are now almost single-minded about the explosion theory. A large asteroid probably crashed into Earth about 66 million years ago, and the timing of this impact coincided with a monumental extinction event.

The shockwave after the impact was really incredible, and the pall of smoke and cosmic debris in the atmosphere led to serious climate changes. This all entailed the destruction of food chains and, eventually, the mass extinction of almost every species that existed at the time.

According to scientists, the chemical signatures of the global mass of particles that blocked sunlight confirm the likelihood of a planetary winter. There are even signs of a dramatic change in the chemical composition of the ocean, meaning that the extinction occurred not only on land, but also in water.

With an idea of what global changes threaten the planet after a collision with celestial bodies, astronomers are constantly monitoring near-Earth asteroids. Scientists reassure: now mankind is not threatened by a big explosion like the one that killed the dinosaurs. However, of course, such a possibility cannot be ruled out.

"If we cannot use technology to avoid the impact, we will have to prepare for some environmental consequences," the astronomers emphasize.

Scientists are unanimous about one thing: the already weakened ecosystem of the planet will not survive a strong asteroid impact.

Earlier OBOZREVATEL told that according to the discovery, every person has a virus from the age of dinosaurs.

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