Prehistoric animals, particularly the dinosaurs, still fascinate us today. They were the most dominant species on earth for millions of years, from about 240+ million years ago until almost all of them went extinct in a single catastrophic event – a 10-15 km (6-10 mile) wide asteroid strike 66 million years ago. Volcanic eruptions were also to blame.
Evidence for this extinction event lies in the Chicxulub impact crater which centered the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Massive tidal waves, fires and severe climate changes killed most. Dust clouds in the atmosphere adversely affected plant growth which starved out the plant eaters and in turn, the carnivores. Only the birds survived, plus some smaller creatures like the mammals. The survivors rapidly evolved to fill the niches once dominated by the dinosaurs.
