Asteroid impact, not volcanism, caused the end-Cretaceous dinosaur extinction.
Chiarenza Alfio Alessandro, Farnsworth Alexander, Mannion Philip D, Lunt Daniel J, Valdes Paul J, Morgan Joanna V, Allison Peter A
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2020 · PMID 32601204 · 인용 228
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.