Space
Mass Extinctions are Linked to Comet and Asteroid Bombardment of Earth
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Oct 21, 2015 07:23 AM EDT
It shouldn't be all that surprising, but researchers have finally confirmed that there's a link between comet or asteroid showers and mass extinctions. They've taken a closer look at impact craters at have found that they line of with mass extinction occurring over the past 260 million years.
For more than 30 years, researchers have argued about a controversial hypothesis relating to periodic mass extinctions and impact craters on Earth. In this latest study, though, the scientists offer new support linking the age of these craters with recurring mass extinctions of life, including the demise of the dinosaurs.
The researchers performed time-series analyses of impacts and extinctions using newly available data. This data offered more accurate age estimates.
"The correlation between the formation of these impacts and extinction events over the past 260 million years is striking and suggests a cause-and-effect relationship," said Michael Rampino, one of the researchers, in a news release.
In all, the scientists found that six mass extinctions of life during the studied period correlated with times of enhanced impact cratering on Earth. One of the craters of the study, in particular, was the massive Chicxulub impact structure in the Yucatan, which takes to about 65 million years ago, which was the time of the greatest mass extinction and included the extinction of the dinosaurs.
"This cosmic cycle of death and destruction has without a doubt affected the history of life on our planet," said Rampino.
The findings are published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
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TagsExtinction, Extinct, Mass Extinction, Sixth Mass Extinction, Asteroid, Comet, Impact, Earth, Dinosaurs ©2024 ScienceWorldReport.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The window to the world of science news.
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First Posted: Oct 21, 2015 07:23 AM EDT
It shouldn't be all that surprising, but researchers have finally confirmed that there's a link between comet or asteroid showers and mass extinctions. They've taken a closer look at impact craters at have found that they line of with mass extinction occurring over the past 260 million years.
For more than 30 years, researchers have argued about a controversial hypothesis relating to periodic mass extinctions and impact craters on Earth. In this latest study, though, the scientists offer new support linking the age of these craters with recurring mass extinctions of life, including the demise of the dinosaurs.
The researchers performed time-series analyses of impacts and extinctions using newly available data. This data offered more accurate age estimates.
"The correlation between the formation of these impacts and extinction events over the past 260 million years is striking and suggests a cause-and-effect relationship," said Michael Rampino, one of the researchers, in a news release.
In all, the scientists found that six mass extinctions of life during the studied period correlated with times of enhanced impact cratering on Earth. One of the craters of the study, in particular, was the massive Chicxulub impact structure in the Yucatan, which takes to about 65 million years ago, which was the time of the greatest mass extinction and included the extinction of the dinosaurs.
"This cosmic cycle of death and destruction has without a doubt affected the history of life on our planet," said Rampino.
The findings are published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Related Stories
Woolly Siberian Mammoths are Extinct Due to Hunting, Not Climate Change
Strange Fossil Bird May Have Flown Better Than Dinosaurs
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone