A new study suggests dinosaurs were rapidly killed off by intense heat following the Chicxulub impact event, rather than solely from longer-term climate effects. The research indicates that many creatures perished within hours of the asteroid strike due to thermal radiation.
The study focuses on the immediate aftermath of the Chicxulub impact, which occurred approximately 66 million years ago and is widely believed to have caused the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, wiping out roughly three-quarters of plant and animal life on Earth. Researchers are now understanding that the initial heat wave was a primary driver of this mass extinction.
The research suggests the impact created widespread wildfires and instantly cooked creatures near the impact zone. According to the source, “We're in the realm where we might be essentially killing off everything within that first hour or two.” This indicates the speed at which life was extinguished following the asteroid’s arrival. The study highlights how thermal radiation, rather than solely long-term environmental changes like dust clouds blocking sunlight, played a crucial role in the dinosaurs’ demise.
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