Study: Asteroid That Killed Dinosaurs was Carbon-Rich
Study: Asteroid That Killed Dinosaurs was Carbon-Rich
The Facts
Researchers from Germany's University of Cologne found that the asteroid that hit Earth 66M years ago, causing the extinction of the dinosaurs, was a "C-type" asteroid, which are rich in carbon and formed beyond Jupiter's orbit around the same time as the Solar System.
By analyzing the remains of the crater where the asteroid hit Earth in what is now Mexico, called the Chicxulub impact, the scientists discovered the isotope ruthenium, which is commonly found in asteroids but not in the Earth's crust.
The Spin
WhileThe the comet theory was justifiedunderstandable given the prevalence of carbonaceous chondrites in long-period comets, but the discovery of ruthenium proves it was more likely to have been aan outer Solar System asteroid. The rocks from the impact site were from C-type asteroids, while most of the others were found S-type, which are from the inner Solar System.
While scientists appear to have finally found the cause of the dinosaur's abrupt extinction, the species was likely on its way out — albeit at a slower rate — without the help of a celestial attack. At the time, the Earth was cooling and thus turning widespread tropical climates into a less vegitative climate. Dinosaurs, like most species throughout Earth's history, were slowly losing their food source.