What if the Chicxulub Meteor Had Missed the Earth?
What would life be like today if dinosaurs still existed? Humans would most likely be the minority species, and we would most likely live in fear every day. Thankfully, we don’t have to worry about dinosaurs and can continue our normal routine activities relatively peacefully.
Around 65 million years ago, an asteroid six miles wide crashed into the Earth in what is today Chicxulub, Mexico, causing a crater 120 miles in diameter. The impact caused fires, climate change, and widespread extinctions. The dinosaurs, which had so far managed to survive 180 million years, died out. 70 percent of the species living on Earth at the time became extinct!
So what if the asteroid managed to just miss Earth, continuing along to crash into some other planet millions of miles away? Well, consider this for a moment: sixty-five million years ago, some of the animals and plants we see today were just beginning to emerge. For example, insects that rely on flowers—such as bees—were relatively new on Earth. Many of these life forms thrived after the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. Without the extinction, these species managed to fill ecological niches they may not have been able to fill otherwise.
Some scientists believe that even if the asteroid hadn’t hit, dinosaurs might have become extinct anyway. They believe that some dinosaur species had started to die off long before the asteroid’s impact, and the asteroid was just one ocurrence in an extremely complex sequence of events. Volcanic eruptions and a continuously changing landscape also aided in the extinction of dinosaurs.
Be thankful for the asteroid that hit Mexico, because instead of playing with a miniature T-Rex, you could be running away from the real thing! Like learning fun facts? Beyda and Associates has an online store dedicated to fun, educational learning! Call our educational book store today at (407)438-6700.
That’s Gross….
Beyda & Associates has EVERYTHING GROSS in their science selection of books, CDs and DVDs. With Halloween coming up this week, find fun ways to gross out your guests by doing an activity together or having it all ready for this week’s Halloween party.
There is a selection of over 60 science books that you are sure to enjoy. Call Beyda & Associates at 866-702-3932 to find the perfect gross book for you!
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