How did dinosaurs become extinct?

How did dinosaurs become extinct?

Paleontologists believe that dinosaurs became extinct over 65 million years ago. But no one is sure how these great creatures vanished.


One theory explains the extinction of dinosaurs by saying hat an asteroid 10 km wide struck the earth. As it struck this asteroid sent dust and steam into the atmosphere, causing huge forest fires and tidal waves. It probably eliminated all sunlight, for at least six months. Without sunlight and plant life even the gigantic dinosaurs were unable to survive.


Other scientist believe that climate change caused the extinction of dinosaurs. According to them, sudden cold temperatures destroyed the plants that herbivorous dinosaurs ate, causing them to die of starvation, which in turn affected the meat eaters.


Another theory says that it was a series of volcanic eruptions that caused such mass destruction. When volcanoes erupt, they send huge clouds of dust, sulfuric acid and poisonous gases into the air. Dinosaurs could never have survived such a hostile, environment!


It has been suggested that disease was the killer of the dinosaurs. With the passage of time, more land bridges started to appear on Earth. Oceans dried up, and dinosaurs were able to walk across new landmasses. As they searched for food, they came into contact with other dinosaurs. The dinosaurs may have carried diseases that they were immune to, but which infected and destroyed new dinosaurs to the area.