Unusual Origin Found for Asteroid That Killed the Dinosaurs
New York TimesAUG 2024
Study Links Dinosaur Extinction to Carbon-Rich Asteroid
Image copyright: Historical/Contributor/Corbis Historical via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
The comet theory was understandable given the prevalence of carbonaceous chondrites in long-period comets, but the discovery of ruthenium proves it was more likely to have been an outer Solar System asteroid. The rocks from the impact site were from C-type asteroids, while most of the others were S-type, which are from the inner Solar System.
Narrative B
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, thus turning widespread tropical climates into a less vegetative climate. Dinosaurs, like most species throughout Earth's history, were slowly losing their food source.