Extinction Of Dinosaurs Essay, Research Paper
Extinction of Dinosaurs
Ryan Humphries
Biology
6th Period
Two-hundred and thirty million years ago the first dinosaur-like
creature roamed the earth. Within five million years it could be considered a
dinosaur. They were soon at the top of the food chain. They populated every
continent. Then 65 million years ago they vanished. The most powerful
creatures ever to live on earth had become extinct.
Dinosaurs were not the only victims of this “mass extinction.” There
were many other species that were killed off. During what is known as the K-T
extinction (K stands for Cretaceous, T stands for Tertiary), many species and
families became extinct. These include all marine reptiles such as plesiosaurs,
mosasaurs, ichthyosaurs, and ammonites, swimming and flying reptiles, sea
crocodiles, and foraminifera. In addition to that there were many bony fish,
sponges, snails, clams, and sea urchins became extinct.
Paleontologists have proposed scenarios that could have caused these
extinctions. One such scenario involves the growing number of small mammals
which ate dinosaur eggs, and therefore caused the dinosaurs’ birth rate to drop.
The birth rate became smaller than the death rate and the dinosaurs died out.
This, however, is not a plausible scenario. This would only account for the
dinosaurs, but not all the other creatures of that time. Paleontologists needed
to come up with a more plausible and devastating theory that would include the
other creatures that died out 65 million years ago.
There have been several major theories that have come about that can all
be substantiated. Any one of these events, theorized by paleontologists, could
have brought an end to the dinosaurs and all the other species that died with
them. Since there are many theories about this I will not write about them all.
I have chosen the theory about death by Cosmic Collision (an asteroid).
In 1980 Luis Alvarez and John Sepkowski Jr., famous geologists, blamed
the extinction of the dinosaurs on a large celestial body which hit the Earth 65
million years ago. According to them, an asteroid five miles across blasted
through the Earth’s crust, and threw up molten rock, ash, and dust. Adding to
the support to this theory is the discovery of a layer of iridium in New Zealand,
Denmark, and Italy. This layer became known as the iridium anomaly. Remarkably,
this layer of iridium was found in sedimen tary rock that is abundant on other
celestial bodies. This was too remarkable to be a coincidence, so the research
team decided that the layer of iridium must have been caused by space debris
which resulted from the collision of Earth and another celestial body. At first,
Alvarez’s theory was not widely accepted, but as more iridium was found from
that period of time around the world, it became the leading theory. Other
evidence includes the discovery of stishovite, a mineral created by high heat
and pressure. These two minerals were most likely caused by a cosmic collision.
Even more stunning, geologists have found a huge crater on the Yucatan Peninsula
which is dated to be exactly 65 million years old.
Whatever hit the Earth would have caused extreme and immediate havoc,
includ ing, a blast wave which would have incinerated everything in its path.
Tsunamis would occur in oceans all over the world and would affect vast areas.
Water and rock would evaporate. The impact of the asteroid would cause massive
earthquakes all over the Earth, and these earthquakes would increase volcanic
activity. The power of the collision would have also caused global wildfires.
Scientists have discovered large quantities of sulfur around the crater at the
Yucatan Peninsula. When the asteroid or comet hit, it would have mixed with
water to form sulfuric acid, which would have created a barrier to block out
light and heat from the sun. This could have lasted for decades. This cloud of
darkness would have killed off vegetation, and then herbivores, having nothing
to eat, would have died. With no herbivores to eat, carnivores would have
killed each other, and the reign of the dinosaurs would have ended.
Now Alvarez’s theory is regarded as one of the leading theories justifying
the K-T extinct
Другие работы по теме:
Mass Extinctions On The Earth Essay Research
Paper Mass Extinctions on the Earth Intro: Sixty-five million years ago, some phenomenon triggered mass extinctions on the lands and in the oceans so profound that they define the geological boundary between the older Mesozoic Era, often
What About The Ichthyosaur Essay Research Paper
What about the Ichthyosaur? Could you imagine what life on earth would be like if the prehistoric reptiles had still existed? Or would we even be in the picture? There are many questions one could
Lovehunnybunch Essay Research Paper When I grow
Lovehunnybunch Essay, Research Paper When I grow up, I want to be a Paleontologist. After graduuating from F.L.I.C.S I want to go to Casstech High school in Detroit and graduate with honors. After graduating form Casstech I want to study at The University of Michigan located in Ann Arbor Michigan. I want to study the life patterns and habits of Dinosaurs.
My Life Essay Research Paper My life
My Life Essay, Research Paper My life came to the brink of extinction, It was meaningless and had no distinction, Every door locked, every turn a dead end,
Cloning 2 Essay Research Paper Extinction to
Cloning 2 Essay, Research Paper Extinction to the Brink Every continent in the world that can be traveled has one thing in common, at least one extinct species per continent exists. Whether the extinction of a species came
Wildlife Essay Research Paper The
Wildlife Essay, Research Paper The “cry of the wild” can still be heard across this great land. I have heard the bugle of an elk on the Great Plains…the shrill of a bald eagle along the banks of the mightily Mississippi…the roar of a brown eagle bear on windswept tundra…and the gobble of a wild turkey among western foothills.
Plains Indians Essay Research Paper During the
Plains Indians Essay, Research Paper During the 1800s, the Plains Indians were finally overcome by the white man. Several factors contributed to their downfall. In descending order, these included the near extinction of the buffalo, disease, tribal wars, and their naivete.
Dodo Birds Essay Research Paper Dodo BirdThe
Dodo Birds Essay, Research Paper Dodo Bird The dodo bird is a large, flightless bird, now extinct. The Mauritius dodo once inhabited the forests of the island of Mauritius. About the size of a turkey, the bird had a large hooked bill, undeveloped wings and tail, and short, thick, yellow legs. It laid a single, large egg in a ground nest made of grass.
Dreaming Through Reservation Blues Essay Research Paper
In Reservation Blues, Sherman Alexie extensively uses dreams to portray the relationship between white people and Native Americans. The dreams depict a constant struggle between the two societies, as well as a gradual extinction of the Indian culture. A complete picture of the Native American way of life could be seen from examining these dreams—and its not a pretty one.
Jaguars Essay Research Paper Endangered Species Study
Jaguars Essay, Research Paper Endangered Species Study: Jaguars I. The jaguars of Central and South America have been being killed for game and protection. This cat used to have homes around the United States to Uruguay,
Cheetahs Essay Research Paper Cheetahs have been
Cheetahs Essay, Research Paper Cheetahs have been evolving and adapting themselves to the deserts of the Serengeti for many years. However, cheetahs have never been common in the wild, but they’re now in grave danger of becoming extinct, due to loss of habitat, high infant mortality, and hunting by humans for hides.
Dinosaurs Where Did They Go Essay Research
Paper WHERE DID THEY GO? JOHN J. HATFIELD EARTH SCIENCE LAB 2234 TERM 2 INTRODUCTION The biggest mystery surrounding the dinosaur is how did they die? For over 130 million years dinosaurs ruled the earth. Then 65 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period, they died out.
Dinosaurs Essay Research Paper DINOSAURSDinosaur is the
Dinosaurs Essay, Research Paper DINOSAURS Dinosaur is the name of large extinct reptiles of the Mesozoic Era, during which they were the dominant land animals on Earth. The term was proposed as a formal zoologic name in 1842 by the British anatomist Sir Richard Owen, in reference to large fossil bones unearthed in southern England.
Reintroduction Of Wolves Essay Research Paper The
Reintroduction Of Wolves Essay, Research Paper The Reintroduction of Wolves In my opinion, wolves should be able to live and survive in the wild. Ranchers do need to consider that wolves have a major
Humans Are Curious By Nature Essay Research
Paper Humans are curious, like the monkeys we use to be I suppose. By nature have always been fascinated by the past. Many feel that unlocking our past can open doors to the future. Our history is brief in comparison with that of the earth, but yet no claims can be made that we are close to understanding our own human existence, or the roads we took in the past which led us to where we are today.
Interview With Dr Ian Malcolm Essay Research
Paper The Lost World Private Interview with Dr. Ian Malcolm 1. Dr. Malcolm, what is it about dinosaurs that interests you? Well, for me it’s the primitive nature. The way they hunt, seek and kill. We have learned so much from that island about the way in which dinosaurs live together and how their behavior is so much different from what we had theorized.
The Orgin Of The Species By Charles
Darwin (1809-1882) Essay, Research Paper Habitual instincts are inherited within each species. Ants and bees build their nests and hives with no previous
Jurassic Park Essay Research Paper The story
Jurassic Park Essay, Research Paper The story Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton takes place on a small island near Costa Rica, it s about a park full of dinosaurs created by Dr. Hammond. The
Evolution Essay Research Paper EvolutionA species cannot
Evolution Essay, Research Paper Evolution A species cannot be created by mutating a species. No matter how many mutations occur the mutation does not evolve the species. No one has ever produced a species by means of natural selection.
The Sixth Extinction Essay Research Paper So
The Sixth Extinction Essay, Research Paper So, what is the Sixth Extinction? When is it coming and what is its cause? It is happening now, and we, the human race are its cause explains Richard Leakey. This phenomenon Leakey argues, is easily comparable with the big five biological crisis’ of geological history, except this one is not being caused by global temperature change, regression of sea level, or asteroid impact.
ENDANGERED SPECIES Essay Research Paper Endangered
ENDANGERED SPECIES Essay, Research Paper Endangered species are living things whose population is so reduced that they are threatened with extinction. Thousands of species are included in this category. The International Union for the Conservation of nature and Natural Resources publishes a list of threatened mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and (many people don?t consider them) plants.
Life In The Universe Essay Research Paper
In the selection I have chosen Chapter 6 of Life in the Universe; The Evolution of Life on Earth begins with the theories of Darwin and natural selection and how survival of the fittest was one of the main theories of evolution of life of an organism. Although it is a good theory, and has been tested through years it is not one of the main priorities of evolution.
Dinosaurs And Birds Essay Research Paper Are
Dinosaurs And Birds Essay, Research Paper Are birds really dinosaurs or are they simply related? That is a question that has gained new life in recent years due to the overwhelming facts the are pouring in from newly found fossils and studies from fossils that have been found in the past. Two groups have formed in the study of this question: those who believe birds are a direct result of dinosaurs and those who feel dinosaurs and birds must have had a common ancestor.
Dinosaurs Essay Research Paper How the Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs Essay, Research Paper How the Dinosaurs Became Extinct Dinosaurs, as we know are extinct. But the question is how they became extinct. It s a question many scientists and archaeologists have been pondering and many of them have different ideas about it. I have collected and created some of the different hypothesis scientists have came up with.
The Extinction Of The Dinosaurs Essay Research
Paper The Extinction of the Dinosaurs Many millions of years ago dinosaurs became extinct due to a catastrophic disturbance of the balance of life on earth. Recent studies points to a collision of a meteor on the earth s surface. The collision would have hurled tons of sand and debris into the earth s atmosphere.
Walking With Dinosaurs Essay Research Paper In
Walking With Dinosaurs Essay, Research Paper In Walking With Dinosaurs, the film is segmented into stories based on a certain type of dinosaur or a specific period in dinosaur evolution.
Precambiran Extinction Essay Research Paper Mass Extinction
Precambiran Extinction Essay, Research Paper Mass Extinction in the Precambrian As the decades pass, technological advances have enabled researchers, entrepenures and pondering minds the ability to discover more and more about every aspect of our very existence. Over the past three decades the evolutionary tree of life has been expanded at least seven times over.
Extinction Of Dinos Essay Research Paper Theories
Extinction Of Dinos Essay, Research Paper Theories of the Extinction of the Dinosaurs Controversy surrounds the extinction of the dinosaurs. According to one theory, dinosaurs were slowly driven to extinction by environmental changes linked to the creeping withdrawal of shallow seas from the continents at the end of the dinosaur era.
Jurrasic Park Essay Research Paper The Lost
Jurrasic Park Essay, Research Paper The Lost World Micheal Chrichton 395 pages copyright 1996 science fiction/ fantasy Four years after the disaster at Jurrasic Park Ian Malcom is summoned by John Hammond of Ingen coorporation, the company is getting ready to file bankrupcy and Peter Ludlow Hammonds nephew new owner of the company decides to use the only thing that the Ingen has left from not fileing for bankrupcy.
Endangered Species Essay Research Paper Vimal RavalProf
Endangered Species Essay, Research Paper Vimal Raval Prof. Clancy The American Alligator is an amazing reptile, having survived almost unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs. Having been hunted almost for extinction, this reptile has made an amazing comeback in recent years. Inhabiting almost every body of water in Florida.
The Lost World Essay Research Paper The
The Lost World Essay, Research Paper The Lost World by Michael Crichton is a great science fiction novel about a group of scientists of different fields that go on an expedition to an island to bring back a rich and stubborn scientist from a test expedition that he cared about more than his life.
Jurassic Park Essay Research Paper Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park Essay, Research Paper Jurassic Park is a book about the cloning of dinosaurs and they are used as the park entertainment on an island. In this park where dinosaurs are the attraction, not every thing will go as planed. Reading this book will teach someone how Michael Crichton feels about biological science and the cloning of extinct animals.