Volcanoes Killed The Dinosaurs, New Evidence Suggests

Accepted theory holds that the dinosaurs became extinct after a large asteroid crashed into Earth, rending the environment uninhabitable. However, that theory is facing a serious challenge as evidence mounts that it may have been massive volcanic eruptions in India that ended the species:

Huge volcanic eruptions that belched sulfur into the air for around 10,000 years could have killed the dinosaurs, according to new evidence unearthed by geologists.

Evidence is accumulating that it wasn't an asteroid that did the beasts in, but volcanoes -- the first real challenge the extinction theory has met in three decades.

A combination of studies on dinosaur fossils, magnetic signatures in rocks and the timing of the disappearance of different species suggest it was volcanoes, not an asteroid, that caused the dinosaurs' extinction.

"We're discovering ... amazingly large flows, amazingly short time scales and amazing volcanic (eruptions)," said Vincent Courtillot of the University of Paris, who is is presenting new evidence for the volcano theory this week at the American Geophysical Union conference here.

In related news, scientists have discovered new dinosaurs in the Sahara desert, in what they deem to be an astonishing prehistoric "river of the giants":

A prehistoric 'river of the giants' that was once home to gigantic fish, towering dinosaurs and 60 foot long crocodiles has been unearthed by British fossil hunters.

The river - as wide as the Danube - flowed across the Sahara desert 100 million years ago, surrounded by lush forests, waterways and lakes.

The site has yielded some of the most exciting African prehistoric finds in years - including the tip of a giant flying reptile's beak and a limb bone from a 65 foot long plant-eating dinosaur. Both are thought to be new species.

Other finds include the remains of a crocodile the length of two double deckers, two inch long scales shed by an freshwater predatory fish, and teeth from a massive sawfish.

Rare dinosaur footprints were also found at the site, near the Algerian border in south-east Morocco.

Comments

[JimRyan]

From my perspective, the extinction could be due to something far different, but I need to understand more before I offer what I consider as possibly credible.

IE: If we consider how water flowing down our drains, in the Northern hemisphere the water flows in a counter clockwise direction, while in the Southern hemisphere, the water flows in a clockwise direction.

So I pose this---What of the earths molten core? Does it all spin in one direction? What of the earths inner rivers of fresh water and do these inner fresh water rivers connect North to South at the equator and if so, which way do the waters at the equator spin?

Yes, this has to do with a different theory about the dinosaur extinction.

Thanks

[boing007]

It was most likely caused by a dinosaur related to Bush in some way. . .yeah. . .a Bush-o-saurus.

Or a Dubyasaurus.

[boing007]

The evidence that has been revealed about the impact, which the meteorite to the extinction of the dinosaurs (I couldn't resist... 8-))) is overwhelming.

In India you say? Maybe it was that plate of curry chicken vindaloo.

[boing007]

fdanconia

If only Al Gore had been there, he could have warned the dinosaurs about the impending doom and maybe they could have put emissions limits on the volcanoes.

Yea? How? Using sign language?

[boing007]

Personally I love science. I love that there are no definitive answers. That every so often you get to re-evaluate and re-imagine what things are and what they mean.

It's as limitless as the Universe itself.

[motoGpifupleez]

Without their dinosaurs, how did Adam and Eve get to church to hear Jesus preach?

[KOisGod]

They used their angel wings, because they took themselves lightly...

:)

[RockySoldier]

science never ceases to amaze me.

glad it hasn't been outlawed.... yet.

[doctordoubt]

Wonder what Palin's take on this one is.

[aweissnet]

That it's a story perpetrated by the left ....

[BlackWidowPilot]

Perpetrated by the People's Socialist Communist Entelodont Youth League for the Reunification of Gondwanaland no doubt...

News at 11... statement from the head Triceratops in charge of the PSCEYLRG...

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[nikto]

I saw a dinosaur just the other day, and I must say,
Mr. Norquist wasn't looking well at all...

[BlackWidowPilot]

That sir, was no dinosaur! Clearly an *arthropod* of an earlier, bygone epoch...

Yeeeeach.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[9UnknownMen]

Those dang Jihadi p.aki dinosaurs set it off! :D

[RockySoldier]

ha!

[leochar18]

Science and religion don't have to work as enemies, both serve a purpose. Without one or the other this world would be no better- we would all still be living in the cave. I don't think that there is a right or a wrong answer, just people who think that they are right...(Notice I have never said anything about my personal faith or lack of but all of you are assuming since I don't agree that Science is the only answer I am some religious fanatic- I love it!)

[marred]

yeah right religion brought about the birth of civilisation? Nice one. You think of that all by yourself? You can't denounce evolution and then claim we are where we are thanks to religion. Religion is about suppressing "so called" undesirable human behavior. Science is about revealing the Mysteries of human behavior. Every war that has ever happened and is happeneing has religion to thank for it. Religion is good for nothing. You guys don't have the monopoly on goodwill, in fact just the opposite.

thank you you've been a wonderful audience. I'm here all week.

[cuomofied]

Although I tend to agree with your viewpoint, I also believe that you are wrong. Religion (aka Lore) has supplanted the inexplicable for centuries and, as science progresses, the story is forced to change or die off.

Also, regardless of rationality or not, religion has historically played a large deal in creating structured sets of civil order and majority of the laws most nations abide by; as in that most religions cover what many theists and atheists to consider standard moral behavior.

[gotompo]

From what I understand greed is the cause of most wars, science produces the weapons and religion supplies the soldiers. As far as the article is concerned I think its fascinating that we havent even touched the biodiversity that must have existed. Life that didn't leave any fossilized evidence for us to dig up. Personally I love science. I love that there are no definitive answers. That every so often you get to re-evaluate and re-imagine what things are and what they mean. I ultimately think that we do ourselves a disservice by calling creationist backwards and stupid. I think they have a psychological need to be certain, to have things in black and white. Every time I've gotten into the argument (usually with my wife's family) someone ends up with hurt feelings. I just think that as a proponent of science we scientists should be calm rational and reasonable and refrain from sophmoric behavior that lends itself to divisiveness.

We should; however, be vigilant and ever watchful lest we become blind to science and embrace fear and hate.

[BlackWidowPilot]

" Every war that has ever happened and is happeneing has religion to thank for it."

I happen to be a Military Historian: no, it has not. "Avarice" is the root cause of war, pure and simple.

*Religious piety* is like patriotism; the favored tool of the scoundrel.

" Religion is good for nothing. You guys don't have the monopoly on goodwill, in fact just the opposite."

Where did you receive your education in Religious Studies? You've studied all the world's religions, so thoroughly that you can make so sweeping a generalization?

Be careful, citizen, lest you become the very thing you claim rage against.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

PROTESTant

[bronzy]

that's a dogone lie, dinosaurs existed with man up to 6000yrs ago and man hunted them into extinction, didn't yuh know!

[Wuud52]

You are so right, I saw Raquel Welch and her clan hunting them myself... Rabbit skins if I am not mistaken.

[RockySoldier]

she knows how to field dress em, too, dontcha know. you betcha.

[hackerblaster]

Everyone knows dinosaurs died from second hand smoke from humans about 6,000 years ago.

[leochar18]

I said religions causes people to kill in it's name, meaning that people kill not religion. If you want to believe in an invisible man in the sky then that is your business. It' s when your told that you can't believe in that invisible man, that is the problem.

[BlackWidowPilot]

Ever hear of a little guy named *Stalin?*

FYI: I happen to be a Military Historian; I can provide you with plenty of examples of how religious prelates *misused* and *twisted* their religious dogmas to serve a *political agenda,* as well as provide you with plenty of examples where *atheist* leaders or movements have used your very same argument to justify their own violent aggression as they sought to spread their "revolution of the proletariat."

Religions do not automatically cause people to kill. People kill for a variety of reasons, mainly because they covet what their neighbors have, and misuse religion to satisfy their need of self-justification for taking what they covet by violent means, in order to avoid the cognitive dissonance that would ensue if they honestly assessed their motives for resorting to violence in committing a simple act of banditry on a mass scale.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[SouthernYankeeBelle]

Well I want to know how Wasilla Moose momma is going to take that?

[UnknownSoldier]

Charles Manson got people to kill for him because they believed in what he was saying. People can believe in the invisible man in the sky but when that invisible man instructs them to kill for him, be it Jihad or Crusade, it is no different from Charles Manson, so the analogy is logical.

[watchingthings]

That was the first theory but since it couldn't explaine the Irridium layer around the world...they kept looking. There were massive outflows of magma from fissures hundreds of miles long in India approx. 65 million years ago. Together with the asteroid or comet strike at Cixalube Mexico....most life on earth was wiped out.