Did a supervolcano cause the dinosaurs' demise? – Science Weekly podcast

Some scientists are beginning to question whether it really was an asteroid impact that led to the dinosaurs ’ extinction – instead, they think it may have been a supervolcano in India.Graihagh Jackson investigatesWhen we were children, many of us learned aboutdinosaurs and their demise. Amassive asteroid, larger than Mount Everest is tall, smashed into the Earth, causing chaos in the form of tsunamis, wildfires and earthquakes. Plumes of debris created a darkness so stifling that it caused up to 75% of all animals to become extinct.However, a small group of scientists is questioning this hypothesis and putting forward another theory:volcanism. The Deccan traps in India are home to some of the biggest volcanic features in the world and there is evidence to suggest there was a lot of activity about 66m years ago – the same time the dinosaurs were wiped out.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Dinosaurs Science Fossils Biology Evolution Zoology Source Type: news