From a supernova to an alien attack, here
are the 9 most fascinating dinosaur extinction
theories
Number 9 Supernova Radiation
Roughly 66 million years ago, a massive asteroid,
6 to 9 miles in diameter, hit the Gulf of
Mexico. This set off the Cretaceous-Paleogene
extinction event, in which at least 75 per
cent of all species on Earth vanished, including
all the non-avian dinosaurs. A giant crater
found in the Yucatan Peninsula corresponds
to the timeline of the extinction. There’s
also geological evidence in the sediment of
terrestrial and marine rocks. The asteroid
set off dust in the atmosphere that blocked
out the sun, causing temperatures to plummet.
It most likely triggered other factors such
as volcanism or changes of the sea level.
The impact hypothesis is currently the one
most favored by the scientific community,
but its’ not the only one. A theory from
1971 suggests that a supernova close to our
planet was responsible for the extinction.
The Earth’s upper-atmosphere was subsequently
bombarded with radiation that caused temperatures
to plummet. High-energy cosmic rays may have
even reached ground level thus causing mutations
and disease.
Number 8 Selenium Poisoning
In 1967, Seil Koch proposed that selenium
poisoning may have been the reason behind
the dinosaurs’ demise. Volcanic activity
during the Mesozoic era, from 250 to 66 million
years ago, caused massive selenium deposits
all-over the world. These deposits lead to
the development of poisonous vegetation. Herbivores
became sick and so did the predators that
feasted on their selenium-poisoned bones and
fatty tissues. The mammals that survived were
most likely intelligent enough to distinguish
between toxic and non-toxic plants.
Before we continue with our list, answer this
question. Which of these creatures survived
what the dinosaurs couldn’t? Was it
a. Titanoboa
b. Crocodile
c. Megalodon
d. Rhinoceros
Let us know what you think in the comments
section below and stay tuned to find out the
right answer.
Number 7 Vitamin D Deficiency
Pathologist Harry T. Marshall proposed in
1928 that the dinosaurs could have died of
rickets. This disease is caused by a deficiency
of phosphates, calcium and vitamin D. As clouds
of dust covered the atmosphere, dinosaurs
weren’t getting enough sunlight. This led
to the widespread onset of rickets and other
similar diseases, which cause a weakening
of the dinosaur’s bones. Moreover, in lack
of ultraviolet light, the plants weren’t
producing the nutrients that could have combated
the disease. Dinosaurs, particularly the larger
ones, gradually became weaker and, in only
a few generations, vanished entirely.
Number 6 Gravity Shift
Despite having been debunked by a number of
physicists, the gravity shift theory still
remains a somewhat fascinating concept. It
states that, millions of years ago, the Earth’s
gravity was weaker. It supposedly explains
how the sauropods evolved and could still
move around, despite their tremendous size.
Sauropods, like the Brontosaurus or Argentinosaurus,
were the true giants of the dinosaur world.
These pillar-legged, long-necked creatures
could way close to 100 tons and some, like
Sauroposeidon, could grow to be 60 feet tall.
Then, a sudden shift in the Earth’s gravity
led to the extinction of all the larger dinosaur
species. Their bodies couldn’t handle the
changes that came with the stronger gravitational
pull and they were basically pinned to the
ground. What caused the alleged shift in gravity
is still a matter of debate. Some have connected
it to the expanding Earth theory, which suggests
the planet has been expanding or contracting
throughout its history.
Number 5 Going Blind
In the early 1980s, ophthalmologist L. R.
Croft suggested that the dinosaurs went extinct
because of cataract blindness. He claimed
that many of the structures that dinosaurs,
such as Triceratops or Ankylosaurus, had on
their heads were meant to protect them from
sunlight. In Croft’s theory, horns and crests
were actually shields that sheltered dinosaurs’
eyes from the ruthless Mesozoic sun. However,
this adaptation eventually succumbed to rising
temperatures towards the end of the Mesozoic.
Dinosaurs started going blind before they
reached sexual maturity which basically put
an end to their breeding efforts.
Number 4 Pandemic
The late Cretaceous period saw the development
of symbiotic relationships between flying
insects and various pathogens. One study revealed
that mosquitoes that had been preserved in
amber and dated back roughly 65 million years
were carriers of malaria. Dinosaurs supposedly
had weaker immunity to these diseases and
became fatally ill when they were bitten by
insects. In the pandemic theory, species that
weren’t involved in the mass dying off were
eventually lost in the asteroid impact. This
supposedly explains the disappearance of marine
species that likely wouldn’t have been affected
by the same pathogens as those on land.
Number 3 Caterpillars Ate Their Food
Entomologist Stanley Flanders wrote a paper
in the 1960s proposing that the dinosaurs
were brought to extinction by caterpillars.
His theory was that moths and butterflies
evolved in absence of a natural predator.
Therefore, their caterpillars would have consumed
vast amounts of vegetation uninterrupted.
Herbivorous dinosaurs needed to eat a lot
of plant material to maintain their enormous
weight. So, as the caterpillars wrought havoc
on their food sources, the herbivores basically
starved to death. The carnivores soon followed
since they didn’t have anything to hunt
anymore except each other. It would have taken
only a few years of extreme plant scarcity
for the dinosaurs to disappear. Birds evolved
from theropods, meaning they’re in the same
family as the T-Rex. Yet, unlike their massive
cousin, they survived the extinction event
by learning to prey on the caterpillars.
Number 2 Egg Problems
There are a few theories suggesting that dinosaurs
became extinct because of problems with their
eggs. One theory claims that more and more
animals developed a taste for freshly produced
dinosaur eggs and that breeding females simply
couldn’t keep up with predation. This wouldn’t
be abnormal animal behavior since egg-eating
has been practiced for hundreds of millions
of years. Another theory claims that a genetic
mutation gradually caused the eggshell layer
to become either too thin, thus making the
embryos vulnerable, or too thick, meaning
hatchlings couldn’t kick their way out anymore.
Without any fresh blood to replenish their
ranks, it wouldn’t have taken a long time
for the dinosaurs to die out entirely.
So, which creature survived what the dinosaurs
couldn’t? The right answer is b, the crocodile.
These reptiles are believed to have remained
largely the same for about 200 million years.
The K-Pg extinction event caused drastic weather
changes that crocodiles most likely survived
due to their burrowing and hibernation habits.
Additionally, they’re highly effective hunters,
will eat just about anything and can go without
a large meal for a long time. They have excellent
immune systems, produce many offspring and
tend to dominate their semi-aquatic habitats.
Number 1 Aliens Wiped Them Out
Some ancient alien theorists have proposed
an alternative explanation to the K-Pg extinction
event. It’s highly unlikely that humans
would have thrived alongside giant hyper-carnivorous
predators, at least not within the current
timeframe of several millennia. The theory
is that extraterrestrial beings exterminated
the dinosaurs to give humanity a better evolutionary
chance. Some versions claim that the dinosaurs
had been genetically engineered by aliens
in the first place, as an experiment. Opinions
vary on how the extermination was carried
out. Various propositions include a super-virus,
weather-tampering, poisoning the atmosphere
or using a gravitational device to redirect
an asteroid towards our planet. The decision
was supposedly made after these beings had
been monitoring the Earth for a long time.
They have since intervened to guide humanity’s
progress from its humble hunter-gatherer beginnings
to becoming the planet’s most dominant species.
Thanks for watching! Would you rather that
science evolved to the point where it could
genetically bring back dinosaurs or to the
point where you could go back in time and
see them in their natural habitats? Let us
know in the comments below!
