Dinosaurs once ruled the planet for over 160 million years, until about 66 million years ago when a mass extinction event wiped out nearly all of them. The leading theory attributes their sudden disappearance to a massive asteroid impact near what is now the Yucatán Peninsula. This collision unleashed global climate changes, dust and debris blocked sunlight, temperatures dropped, and ecosystems collapsed, cutting off food chains.
While the asteroid played a starring role, other factors may have contributed too. Volcanic eruptions in what is now India released enormous amounts of gas and ash, which may have already been stressing Earth’s climate. Despite this dramatic end, not all dinosaurs vanished. Birds, considered the last surviving dinosaur lineage, continue to thrive today.
This edition of World-Wide Q&A explores how one of nature’s greatest success stories came to a sudden halt, and how echoes of the dinosaur age still live on in every feathered friend.