Dinosaurs, a new discovery from scientists: that’s how long they became extinct

As the sunlight faded, plants and animals died. Here’s how the darkness caused by the asteroid that extinguished the dinosaurs wiped out all life on Earth

The years after the asteroid impact that wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs were dark times, quite literally. second New search The soot from the burning fires filled the sky, blocking sunlight, and this mechanism contributed greatly to the wave of extinctions that followed. Here’s what happened.

The largest mass extinction in history

The cataclysm in the aftermath of the asteroid impact wiped out many forms of life 66 million years ago. An effect that also brought about environmental changes that led to mass extinctions in the following years. One of the triggers may have been the build-up of clouds of ash and harmful particles that spread into the atmosphere and stayed there for two years. This phenomenon, in addition to preventing the process of photosynthesis, led to the complete collapse of the Earth’s ecosystem. Even after the sunlight returned, the decline did not stop.

asteroid

The asteroid that hit Earth was traveling at a speed of about 43,000 kilometers per hour, with a diameter of about 12 kilometers, and left a deep scar on our planet known as the Chicxulub crater, located in the current state of Yucatan, Mexico. The effect at least came out 75% of life on Earth, including all non-flying dinosaurs. Clouds of pulverized rock darkened the sky, and sulfuric acid caused acid rain and fires. It’s a kind of post-apocalyptic nuclear winter, with the difference that in those days there were no humans and no weapons of mass destruction.

times thanks to dinosaur fossils

Scientists analyzed a long series of fossils and found that the dark period would continue up to 150 days. During this time, extinction levels will reach 65-81% and it will take another 40 years for climatic and environmental conditions to begin to recover.