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Main Article about the meteor theory: K-Pg Extinction


Around 66 or 65 mya (depending on what year you believe, but there is enough confirmation it was 66 mya), a mass extinction happened that wiped out the pterosaurs, non-turtle marine reptiles, baurusuchids and the metatherians, and the majority of the ammonites, belemnites and dinosaurs, as well as thousands of other animals and groups. The most believed explanation is that a comet or meteorite from outer space crashed onto Earth, smashing into Mexico. This would create dozens of side effects that were enough to create a mass extinction that wiped out between 60% and 75% of all animals on Earth. However, there are also a lot of other theories, which will be listed here.

Hypothesis #1

Near the end of the Cretaceous period, there was a lot of volcanic activity on India (which was an island at the time). This would ultimately create a huge dust cloud that blocked the sunlight, killed the plants and poisoned, choked and suffocated millions of animals.

Opposing this Hypothesis: There is no proof that this type of violent volcanic eruptions took place in the Cretaceous period. Even if they happened, how did the other animals and plants of that period survive extinction?

Hypothesis #2 (pure bologna)

Aliens invaded Earth and killed or kidnapped the dinosaurs. Even though it's load of rubbish, there are people who believe that. Other horrible balderdash theories people actually believe include:

  • The dinosaurs were on Earth for so long they literally died because of boredom.
  • The dinosaurs stifled in their own (supposedly all giant) faeces.
  • The dinosaurs became smart and started polluting the world, eventually leading to their own extinction.

Hypothesis #3

Another theory states that ultraviolet light reached the Earth. It would've blinded animals and irradiated plants and other herbivore food, leading to a swift death for thousands of animals. 

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Hypothesis #4

One of the most believed theories other than the volcano/meteor collision theories is the theory that a climate change occurred because of the continental drift. Three things could've happened:

  • The Earth would become way too cold
  • The Earth would become way too hot
  • The Earth would alternate between being too hot and too cold

Hypothesis #5

Another theory states that mammals ate too much dinosaur and pterosaur eggs for the species to reproduce. Opposing this theory: However, this doesn't explain the extinction of the other animal groups that disappeared.

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Hypothesis #6

Another theory states that a virus, disease, sickness or epidemy terminated the dinosaurs, pterosaurs and marine reptiles. Opposing this theory: Then how did the other prehistoric animals survive?

Hypothesis #7

Based on research, flowers and plants with blooms first appeared during the Late Setonian, Campanian or Maastrichtian. According to this theory, these flowers were toxic for the dinosaurs and all other animals that ate them. A side theory spawned from the flower theory is the appearance of certain plants that their reptilian consumers could not digest, but mammals could. Said plants could've also caused intestinal disorders. Possibly, both these indigestible plants (for dinosaurs, at least) and toxic flowers could've existed at the same time, pushing the dinosaurs even further into extinction. Without herbivores to eat, the cfield.ores died out as well. 



Hypothesis #8

Another hypothesis states that the cause for the mass extinction was acid rain. It would've destroyed plants, injured animals and caused damage to life and the surroundings, such as ground, trees, rocks and water. Opposing this theory: Only pollution can cause acid rain.

Hypothesis #9

According to this theory, the extinct terrestrial animals were drowned by huge tsunamis, or the tidal waves would've smashed them into rocks, trees and mountains at full force, fatally injuring or instantly killing them. The marine animals would've been flung onto the mainland by the tsunamis, leaving them to die because of dehydration.

Hypothesis #10

Here are some miscellaneous theories:

  • Cataract blindness
  • Caterpillars at all the plants
  • Nearby supernova explosions could heat the upper atmosphere, but also disturb the ozone layer and produce large ice clouds in the high atmosphere, ultimately cooling the environment.
  • The Ice Age came and freezed the dinosaurs to death. 
                            • The moon was extracted from the Pacific Basin, which would've upset the climate and atmosphere.
                              The effect of parasites and vectors.
                              Nuclear poisoning and radiating because of uranium, which was leached from the soil.
                              A rapid evolution of fungi, which weakened and intoxicated the dinosaurs.
                              A metabolic disorder because of the thinning of egg shells.
                              The dinosaur embryos suffocated because of multi-layer eggs. Evidenced by studies on French and Spanish eggs found in the Pyrenees.
                              Ionising radiation.
                              Reversal in the Earth's magnetic field.
  • Dino explorers extinction
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