[Lifestyle]Study reveals the reason for the extinction of dinosaurs

[HiTLeR]

Researchers said the puzzle of the extinction of dinosaurs was finally solved when a massive asteroid hit the Earth in the Cretaceous period, killing it.

According to the study, the asteroid that hit Earth at that time led to the destruction of about 75 percent of plants and animals, including dinosaurs.

Some scientists say that the 10-kilometer wide asteroid that collided with the Earth and made a huge pit was the main reason for this, as it emitted huge amounts of gases and dust that obscured the sun due to the collision, which led to a long period of cold for the planet that caused this Destruction.

However, others say that volcanic activity in the Indian Deccan region was the main cause of the extinction of these organisms, causing widespread climate change.

Others suggest that volcanoes and asteroid collisions led to that extinction, and that the collision is the last straw that broke the camel's back after a long period of instability caused by volcanic activity.

"When we developed different scenarios, whether for both things to happen together, or completely separate, we see that an asteroid collision is the only one that can completely eliminate habitats that might be suitable for dinosaurs," says Dr. Alfio Alessandro Cirinza, senior author of research at University College London.

"Even if volcanic eruptions did not take place, extinction would have occurred anyway because the asteroid impact was severe enough to eliminate dinosaur habitats around the world," Cirinza told the British newspaper, The Guardian.

The study indicates that carbon dioxide emissions from volcanoes could have helped the Earth retain its temperature and helped life recover, especially plant life, although the fate of the dinosaurs was destined for extinction.

The scientific team says the results are related to other research, including fossil evidence from the Deccan region that animals, including dinosaurs, survived the massive earlier eruptions, and the results suggest that mass extinction was a sudden event.

Cirinza indicated that supporters of volcanology in the elimination of dinosaurs are likely to back down.

Gerta Keeler, a professor of paleontology and geology at Princeton University who was not involved in the work, criticized the research saying that the study ignored evidence from recent volcanic studies, including results showing that the largest volcanic eruption coincided with mass extinction.

But Steve Bruce, professor of paleontology and evolution at the University of Edinburgh confirmed that the study is convincing in itself, adding that it adds compelling evidence that the collision of the comet is what led, most likely, to the extinction of dinosaurs, through the occurrence of a "nuclear winter" that blocked the sun from Earth for several Years.

He pointed out that volcanoes may have played a role in this, but not the large role that many suspect, stressing that it is difficult to explain the process of extinction of dinosaurs without the theory of asteroid impact on Earth.