The fate of dinosaurs may have changed within a brief 30 seconds. And who knows, we might be the species that never existed?
The true cause of dinosaur extinction remains a subject of much debate. However, until clarified, science tentatively accepts that the extinction was caused by the massive Chicxulub meteorite, which, with a circumference of up to 9.6 km, struck Earth 66 million years ago.
More accurately, the Chicxulub impact did not kill the dinosaurs; rather, it was the aftermath that became the real culprit. The enormous amount of sulfur released into the atmosphere reflected sunlight, creating a prolonged winter lasting for decades, leading to food shortages and the extinction of dinosaurs along with many other species.
The Chicxulub meteorite indirectly killed the dinosaurs.
However, according to a recent study from Imperial College London (UK) and the University of Texas (USA), the fate of the dinosaurs could have been drastically different if the meteorite had struck just 30 seconds earlier or later.
Experts suggest that if the meteorite had collided just a few seconds before or after the impact time, it could have fallen directly into the ocean, completely eliminating the sulfur that would have entered the atmosphere, thus allowing the dinosaurs to survive.
Specifically, Professor Joanna Morgan from Imperial College London, along with Professor Sean Gullick from the University of Texas, studied the changes on Earth caused by the meteorite.
But if it had fallen just a little off time…
They had to survey the Chicxulub impact site in the Gulf of Mexico to determine how catastrophic the meteorite’s impact was, even causing the planet’s surface to melt.
According to Professor Gullick, while the Chicxulub meteorite struck Earth, it hit a location it shouldn’t have—an area rich in sulfur-rich rocks—which caused the prolonged winter on Earth.
Professor Morgan stated that studies show at least 100 billion tons of sulfate were released into the atmosphere, accompanied by fire and smoke. “This was more than enough to lower Earth’s temperature for a decade and wipe out nearly all life” – Morgan shared.
The dinosaur extinction event also created significant opportunities for the evolution of other species, including humans.
But also because of the word “if”, had that massive meteorite fallen just a bit off time, everything might have been different. Perhaps now, we wouldn’t be typing away at our keyboards but rather struggling to survive against the titans of Earth from hundreds of millions of years ago.
