What killed the dinosaurs? Scientist Wang Haijun thinks the answer may be buried inside a 980-foot-long ravine in the Chinese countryside 415 miles southeast of Beijing where hundreds of the creatures may have huddled in the final moments before their extinction.
The fossils here -- more than 15,000 fractured, mangled and blackened bones from about 65 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period right before they went extinct -- support theories of a catastrophe. Global fires. Explosions. Climate change.
"This find is very important for understanding the very end of the age of dinosaurs," said James M. Clark, a paleontologist at George Washington University who has examined some of the fossils.
Sounds like they were killed in a blast to me, but those of you that know more of taphonomy will be possibly be able to correct the possible misconception.
One of the largest and most oft repeated complaints is "Where are the fossils?" (from the KT 'roid splat)
We may be looking at them there. In fact, if this is the result of the Chicxulub Impact, then...that might be the explanation as to why there are so few NorAm fossils in Montana at the time. Why? Think it through.
I'm eagerly waiting for the papers that are generated from the site...and the resulting verbal wars.
2 comments:
Really, really hope this is what they claim it is. Hopefully the paper will come out soon!
I am completely with you there.
They are going to need to be very, very careful no matter what the results. If they are pro-impact, then they are going to have to document it in detail. If they are NOT pro-impact, then they need to be equally careful on the flipside because they will run into even more opposition and contention. I suspect that the papers will take time. I wish they'd be quick, but...
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