Scientists in the US have discovered the remains of a dinosaur that died on the first day an asteroid hit Earth. We tell how they managed to install it and why it is a huge success
Extinction hypothesis
In 1980, it was hypothesized that an asteroid impact about 66 million years ago led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. According to scientists, he landed in the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbmodern Mexico. Most of the amphibians most likely died within hours or days of the impact due to the sudden rise in temperature. This could cause irreversible climate change, increase atmospheric acidity and change the composition of the oceans.
Thescelosaurus leg
In early April of this year, a team of scientists in North Dakota discovered a perfectly preserved Thescelosaurus leg with skin fragments. These dinosaurs lived at the end of the Cretaceous period (83,5–66 million years ago) in what is now North America. Their length varied from 2,5 to 4 m, and weight – from 200 to 300 kg.
Scientists’ Delight
According to the researchers, the Thescelosaurus, whose leg they found, died on the first day of the disaster. This is indicated by the presence of fragments of an asteroid near the fossil. They could fall to the ground only immediately after the collision with the planet. Paleontologist and professor of natural history at the University of Manchester Philip Lars Manning said: “This is complete madness. Such an accurate temporal resolution, which we can establish in these excavations, is the limit of our wildest dreams. It’s like it shouldn’t exist. It’s absolutely, stunningly beautiful. I never imagined that in my entire career I would be able to look at something, firstly, accurately dated, and secondly, so beautiful, telling such an amazing story.
Maximum Accuracy
The excavations were filmed for the BBC documentary Dinosaurs: The Last Day, co-authored by legendary British broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough. “When Sir David looked at the leg, he smiled and said it was an impossible find; I agreed,” says Manning.
In addition, the research team discovered the remains of a fish that had been forced to breathe in the fumes that had risen in the water due to the asteroid impact. Such accurate evidence will help scientists determine the time when the collision occurred as accurately as possible. University of Manchester PhD student and team member Robert Di Palma said: “We found so many details on this set that show everything that happens moment by moment, almost like in the movies. You look at the stones, at the excavations, and it’s like you’re transported back to that day.”