Question

Compile a list of the evidence supporting the impact hypothesis as the cause of the Cretaceous mass extinction. Now, do the same for the flood volcanism hypothesis. Which hypothesis do you think is correct? What evidence can support your idea? Is it possible that both mechanisms (and perhaps others) played a role?

Answer 1

It is famed for the death of the dinosaurs. However, many other organisms perished at the end of the Cretaceous including the ammonites, many flowering plants and the last of the pterosaurs. Some groups had been in decline for several million years before the final event that destroyed them all. It's suggested that the decline was due to flood basalt eruptions affecting the world's climate, combined with drastic falls in sea level.