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

[NightAdder]

So I guess in another thirty years, more scientists will try to make a name for themselves by saying some exotic disease form Mars killed off the dinosaurs. *sigh*

[picodegallo54]

i claim that one. thought it up all by myself. but seriously, i think it's important to keep researching the big extinction. give us a preview of what could happen to us.

[Twinkie]

"Accepted theory holds that the dinosaurs became extinct after a large asteroid crashed into Earth"

Uh, sorry HuffPo but that is BS. Volcanic activity has been on the table for as long as the asteroid theory. Sheesh, do two minutes worth of research

[charon]

I have heard the volcanic theory put forward before also, involving the Deccan basaltic flows another poster mentioned earlier. Maybe this just newer evidence that supports the involvement of volcanoes in the mass extinction. It doesn't rule out a role for an asteroid in the event, but does imply the volcanoes were a proximate cause.

[JohnCochtosten]

I think this theory should be taken into consideration:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Wqo9IVCWV5E/SShGzr1aGuI/AAAAAAAABjY/VHpAPwhzFeM/s1600-h/bz+DINO+ARK+11-16-08+WB.jpg

[vnvlthm]

Hahaha... Really well made !

[Telemachus]

Well, I, for one, just HATE all these new dinosaurs they keep coming up with. What was wrong with the ones we had in grade school? I mean, everything was nice and simple: You had your Brontosaurus, munching on trees, and you had your Triceratops, munching on flowers, and then you had your Tyrannosaurus, munching on the other two. Three species was enough. Collect them all and they'd still fit real nice on your shelf next to the snow globe and the P-51. But NOW there's all these newfangled Velociraptors and Hadrosaurs and Duckbills and whatnot, PLUS a bunch of confusing extinction theories! I can't keep up! You paleontologists, give it a rest already!!!

[walk0nwalls]

But, but, but, but

AN ASTEROID IS SO MUCH COOLER!!!!!!!

*steam*

[JohnCochtosten]

Actually, that's technically true.

Though volcanoes are badass as well.

[ecotopian]

As a paleontologist once said,"An asteroid makes a good magazine cover." He, Dr. Bob Bakker, didn't believe an asteroid did in the dinosaurs either. He said this over 10 years ago.

[SlinkyTWF]

Bakker's big hypothesis was global dinosaur extinction from plague spread by trans-continental migrations during low-water periods. Interesting idea, but I don't think that alone would be sufficient. Dinosaurs were too widely spread across the globe for an event that slow to spread. But it could have been a factor. If the asteriod caused the volcanic activity that caused a global cooling that caused land bridges to open that caused diseased dinosaurs to eat each other while all the plant life was thinning out around them...

I think it's too complicated an event to ascribe to a single event. I'm more inclined toward hypotheses that involve a perfect storm of extinction factors.

Or, it could have been like in that old SF story (Frederick Brown or Isaac Asimov?) where time-travelling juvenile delinquents sling-shotted them all to death.

[GoodwithWood]

This article and most other Media sources write as if asteroids and volcanos don’t come together. Massive asteroid impacts cause volcanic eruptions across the planet. Duh!

[BillMelater]

Hey, if a comet or a sizeable object hit the earth, wouldn't it be reasonable that it could trigger massive volcanic activity? Or what looks like volcanic actvity. I think if you pop a big hole in the crust, you are going to get some lava flowing.

[sasson]

It wasn't the volcanoes, it was beauty that killed the beasts.

[edgraham]

"Twas Ann Coulter, killed the beasts...

[nysouthpaw]

I have to say one of the funniest comment threads I have ever read. Bravo.

[Mattplastik]

Could it be, the extinction meteor that hit the earth in the gulf of Mexico (on the other side of the planet from India) set off a shock wave through the planet that forced the Indian volcanoes to erupt and killing off the dinosaurs on the Asian Continent?

Just my amatuer Theory....

[WuChi]

My paleontology professor at Virginia Tech, Dewey McClean, was arguing fifteen years ago that the dinosaur extinction was related to volcanic activity (the Deccan Traps in present day India), and the attendant changes in atmospheric composition and climate. So, while the asteroid-only theory had "popular acceptance", it was certainly not the only viable theory available. It's nice to see that a different avenue is being seriously explored, although sad to see that my old eccentric professor may not get credit where it is due. Perhaps these guys in Paris were inspired by his work?

[Twinkie]

Yes volcanoes have always been considered alongside the asteroid theory. The original article is poorly researched

[Seven7s]

Everybody knows Dinosaurs never exiosted and they were simply placed in the ground by God to test our faith.

What a bunch of stupid scientist. What do they know anyway?

but seriously.­..they need to make up their mind. Was it a comet, global warming, volcanoes or all of the above...SH­EESH.

[prog]

Science isn't static. A scientist who "makes up his mind" may have to change his mind when new evidence is found. That's because science isn't about belief, it's about finding the truth.

That's why this debate may go on for centuries, or forever.

[Seven7s]

you're correct. But that was my point. When I watch the Discovery Channel and those type of shows those voice overs always say "THIS IS HOW THE DINOSAURS DIED OUT..."

They rarely say, "the evidence suggests this is how...."

Maybe thats the editors problem not theirs.

[doublels]

The scientists should have just asked Sarah Palin & her fellow fundies.

[MaximMaximus]

You're assuming that Gov. Palin is smarter than the dinosaur she'd be riding if she lived back then.

[LMPE]

New dinosaurs in the Sahara? If they're not yet named, might I suggest little known actresses Connie Hines and Dorothy Provine (at least for the scientific names)? Lots of famous people have species named after them, so why not these obscure but fine actresses? "Evil Dead" star Bruce Campbell should also get honored with a scientific name.

Anyway, the fundy Christians are going to probably come up with a way to spin this to make it sound as though the dinosaurs' extinction was God's will.

[RJC]

I suspect the volcanic activit may have had something to do with the Indian Subcontinent colliding with and being pushed into Asia. I'm not sure if the timeframe works though.

[Taan]

According to Gov. Palin, the dinos and humans coexisted. So if a giant eruption killed the former, why didn't it eliminate all humanity -- as well as every other living species? After all, the report says that the spew lasted for many thousands of years. By golly, you just don't know who to believe anymore. If you can't trust your politicians, and the scientists keep changing their stories, who in the heck can you believe!

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

" According to Gov. Palin, the dinos and humans coexisted. So if a giant eruption killed the former, why didn't it eliminate all humanity..­.?"

Because the dinos were sinful and ate the fruit of a specific tree, so The Whatever High Atop The Thing, wrapped his faithful and celibate humans in warm and fluffy bubbles and tele-ported them to Holy Places like Wasilla Alaska, Utah, Kansas, vast swaths of Florida, The Lynchberg Virginia Area, Oklahoma, Texas, The Carolinas and Kennebunkport Maine, while He rained FIRE & BRIMSTONE upon the fornicating serpents.

[doublels]

details, details...­pshaw

[notb observer]

If you're an extremist christian, the philosophy is not to ask any questions. Don't be curious and don't be inquisitive. Everything you need to know is in the old and new testaments which they view as the unerring word of god. If it's not in there, then you don't need to worry about it.
Rather than try to open their eyes to reality and the thousands of scientific discoveries that are made each year, they spend their energy drilling deeper and deeper in to their bibles. Te only effort they make relating to scientific evidence is to find ways to discredit or refute it.
I once heard one of these extremists (who was a certified geologist) give a brainwashing lecture to young fundies where he explained that Noah had in fact followed god's instructions and loaded the dinosaurs into his ark. He did it by carrying their eggs, not the actual animals...
I had a long argument after the session and asked him how Noah would know which eggs were male and which were female... No answer. I then reminded him that his degree was in geology, not anthropology and told him he was irresponsible as a professional to present ridiculous and unfounded dogmatic nonsense to impressionable kids.