Asteroid Impact
This object from space is believed to have caused a mass extinction 66 million years ago
A long term drop in this may have made it hard for dinosaurs to survive
What is temperature?
These massive volcanic events may have led to long-term climate disruption
What are flood basalts?
This type of stellar explosion is theorized to have harmed Earth's biosphere
What is a supernova?
Some believe diseases spread by these guys could have contributed to extinction
What are parasites?
The asteroid impact is believed to have struck this modern-day country
What is Mexico?
What are plants?
These famous volcanic formations in India are tied to the extinction event
What are the Deccan Traps?
A nearby supernova might have released this radiation that damages the ozone layer
What are gamma rays?
This group of animals may have outcompeted dinosaurs for resources
What are mammals?
This crater is the primary evidence for the asteroid impact theory
What is the Chicxulub crater?
Changing climates may have affected the availability of this, crucial for dinosaur metabolism
What is water?
Volcanic eruptions release large amounts of this gas, contributing to global warming
What is carbon dioxide?
This protective atmospheric layer could have been destroyed by a supernova
What is the ozone layer?
A sudden change in this celestial factor may have disrupted dinosaur biology
What is Earth's orbit or axial tilt?
The impact likely caused this environmental effect by throwing dust into the atmosphere
What is global cooling or a nuclear winter?
Some scientists believe a gradual cooling led to extinction, possibly caused by the shifting of these
What are tectonic plates?
Volcanic ash and sulfured can block sunlight, causing this effect on Earth's temperature
What is cooling?
Supernova theory suggests this type of DNA damage could have increased in organisms
What are mutations?
Some scientists suggest extinction was caused by a combination of multiple factors, called this kind of model
What is a multifactorial model?
This element, found in high amounts in the Earth's crust at the K-Pg boundary, supports the asteroid theory
What is iridium?
This type of data from deep-sea sediments helps scientists reconstruct ancient climate patterns
What is oxygen isotope data?
This dating method is used to determine the age of volcanic rocks
What is radiometric dating?
Scientists search for this radioactive isotope as potential supernova evidence in Earth's crust
What is iron-60?
This theory suggests a drop in reproduction rates due to genetic or environmental causes led to extinction
What is reproductive failure theory?