New analysis has refuted the claim that dinosaurs were in decline at the time of their extinction. If an asteroid had not hit Earth 66m years ago, dinosaurs might have continued to dominate the planet, according to new research. From a report: A team from the University of Bath and the UK National History Museum has published a study to Royal…
Tag: Cretaceous period
Did this mass extinction event trigger dawn of the dinosaurs?
New research suggests that a series of huge volcanic eruptions, 233 million years ago, led to a mass extinction event that heralded the dawn of the dinosaurs. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/mass-extinction-event-trigger-dawn-of-dinosaurs…
Meteors more massive than the dinosaur-killing asteroid struck Earth 800 million years ago
A shower of meteors that slammed into the moon (and Earth) had a collective mass estimated to be as much as 60 times that of the asteroid that blasted Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period. Source: https://www.livescience.com/moon-earth-asteroid-shower.html
International team discovers 3 new species of flying reptiles
The new fossil discoveries provide clues about flying, spike-toothed reptiles that lived in the Sahara 100 million years ago. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/new-species-flying-reptiles-pterosaurs-sahara…
Wonderchicken fossil casts new light on bird evolution
The oldest known bird fossil, from the age of dinosaurs, has skull features similar to modern chickens. The scientists who found it have nicknamed it “Wonderchicken.” It’s providing valuable insights into the evolution of birds. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/wonderchicken-oldest-fossil-modern-bird…
A bee from the age of dinosaurs
One hundred million years ago, a bee got trapped in tree resin. Over time, geological forces converted the resin to amber. Now a scientist arrives on the scene, to tell us this bee’s story. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/fossil-bee-trapped-amber-parasites-pollen…
Cretaceous insect discovered with extremely weird antennae
Amber from the Cretaceous period trapped a leaf-footed bug with extremely long and wide antennae, which may have helped disguise the insect or confuse predators Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2234646-cretaceous-insect-discovered-with-extremely-weird-antennae/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Meet the Reaper of Death, a new Canadian tyrannosaur
A new tyrannosaur species named Thanatotheristes, which means “reaper of death,” was the apex predator of its time, 79 million years ago in present day Alberta, Canada. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/reaper-of-death-new-canadian-tyrannosaur…
Fossil reveals how feathered dinosaurs differed from birds
The fossil of this new-to-science dinosaur offers a view into dinosaur-bird evolution. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/fossil-feathered-dinosaurs-differed-from-birds…
Tsunamis, wildfires followed dinosaur-killing impact
A new study that analyzed rock from deep within the Chicxulub impact crater helps reveal what happened within the first 24 hours after the asteroid impact that doomed the dinosaurs. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/tsunamis-wildfires-dinosaur-killing-asteroid-impact…