Scientists are working on two hypotheses to end the dinosaurs on Earth: tsunamis and seismic waves | Nice

• Watch Episode One: Dinosaurs dominated the Earth’s surface until a giant meteor hit the planet

An asteroid the size of Mount Everest smashed into the sea in what is now Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Three thousand kilometers north of the impact site, in the Tanis desert, the team of American paleontologist Robert DiPalma Traces of this explosion were found: small balls of rock trapped in the fossils of ancient fish.

Intrigued, the scientists took the spheres to a lab in England for analysis. And the Within this small sphere contains iron, chromium, and nickel in proportions found only in an asteroid.

In the first episodeWe saw that clay balls were found in the gills of prehistoric fish. But how did these animals die? The answer may lie in the fossils. The American paleontologist believed that the fish would have died together, and at the same time, in a turbulent moment in the waters of the river.

The The first hypothesis is that the occurrence of a massive tsunami, With waves up to a hundred meters high. The The second hypothesis bets on seismic waves that propagate after an explosion or earthquake And they moved very quickly. All this while debris rain fell from the sky.

“It’s something that was first seen 66 million years ago.. Ankle bones, toes and nails. “It’s a well-preserved leg, with knuckles, still covered in skin,” said Robert DiPalma, when explaining the discovery of the dinosaur’s remains.

It’s a dinosaur from the end of the Cretaceous period, which may have died on the day of the meteorite strike, or on the eve of the disaster.. The leg was kind of a lightweight type that runs a lot. It could be Thescelosaurus. It’s the missing link to prove years of schooling about extinction.

Thescelosaurs lived on the banks of rivers and were able to dig in the sand in search of food. Its largest predators were large carnivores.

with the The explosion of the asteroid with the force of a billion atomic bombs formed an enormous cloud of steamThree million tons of debris were ejected in all directions. Fires and floods engulfed the landscape in a matter of minutes.

The temperature on Earth has risen dramatically. The devastation was complete. Most of the animals had nowhere to run. In less than two hours the world changed forever. Long after their heyday, dinosaurs are just a chapter in history.

After millions of years, a file appeared The mud turned a thick layer of rock, and hid the fossils Scientists struggle to discover and decipher them. In the oceans, warm waters wiped out the food of most marine species.

Almost a decade ago, it was Soot and smoke left the planet in the dark. The landscape was inhospitable. Gradually, the sun found gaps to reach the Earth and life began to form again.

The few species that survived lived in burrows and had one big advantage: shelter to protect themselves from the harsh climate and security for food storage.

Small mammals continued to multiply and evolve. If the meteorite had not fallen, then most likely evolution would not have advanced to the amazing diversity of species we know today. Even we humans wouldn’t be here to tell this story.

Humans are the only animals that have the ability to study and learn from the distant past. It is therefore necessary to use this skill wisely: to protect the place we call “our home”.

Listen to great podcasts

podcasts that’s cool Available in g 1And the GloboplayAnd the DeezerAnd the spotifyAnd the google podcastAnd the Apple Podcast And the amazon music Deliver great reporting, feature stories, and great stories in a podcast with the stamp of Fantástico Journalism: Depth, Context, and Information. Follow, like or subscribe to that’s cool on your favorite podcast player. Every Sunday there is a new episode.

podcasts Have fun, Renata. Available in g 1In the GloboplayIn the DeezerIn the spotifyIn the google podcastIn the Apple Podcastin amazon music or in your favorite app. Follow, Subscribe and Like Have fun, Renata. on your preferred platform. Every Monday there is a new episode.