Chiarenza, AA;
Mannion, P;
Farnsworth, A;
Lunt, D;
Valdes, P;
Morgan, J;
Allison, P;
(2020)
Asteroid impact, not volcanism, caused the end-Cretaceous dinosaur extinction.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
, 117
(29)
pp. 17084-17093.
10.1073/pnas.2006087117.
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Abstract
The Cretaceous/Paleogene mass extinction, 66 Ma, included the demise of non-avian dinosaurs. Intense debate has focused on the relative roles of Deccan volcanism and the Chicxulub asteroid impact as kill mechanisms for this event. Here, we combine fossil-occurrence data with paleoclimate and habitat suitability models to evaluate dinosaur habitability in the wake of various asteroid impact and Deccan volcanism scenarios. Asteroid impact models generate a prolonged cold winter that suppresses potential global dinosaur habitats. Conversely, long-term forcing from Deccan volcanism (carbon dioxide [CO2]-induced warming) leads to increased habitat suitability. Short-term (aerosol cooling) volcanism still allows equatorial habitability. These results support the asteroid impact as the main driver of the non-avian dinosaur extinction. By contrast, induced warming from volcanism mitigated the most extreme effects of asteroid impact, potentially reducing the extinction severity.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Asteroid impact, not volcanism, caused the end-Cretaceous dinosaur extinction |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1073/pnas.2006087117 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2006087117 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Earth Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10097546 |
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