New Evidence Reframes Dinosaur Extinction: The Asteroid as the Final Blow
A provocative new study reignites the debate over whether dinosaurs could have survived without the asteroid impact 66 million years ago. Researchers now suggest dinosaurs were not already in decline before the catastrophe, and that the asteroid’s deadly climate effects sealed their fate. This shift challenges long-standing theories and influences how we understand ancient mass extinctions and life’s fragility on Earth.
For years, the scientific consensus hinted at a gradual slide toward extinction. Climate shifts, volcanic activity, and changing vegetation were thought to weaken dinosaur populations. New analyses, supported by recent studies in prestigious journals, contest that view. Findings based on updated fossil records, advanced computer models, and ecosystem reconstructions indicate dinosaurs remained healthy up to the impact. The research suggests the asteroid was the decisive external shock rather than an inevitable end of the line.