The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs helped shape rainforests, study finds

The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago may have done more than wipe out the most famous and iconic types of megafauna to ever roam the Earth; it may also have created the rainforests.

The study examined fossilized pollen and leaves in Colombia to determine how the impact of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs affected life. While the findings showed that there was a widespread impact between species, such as widespread extinction, the very structure of the forest was affected as well.

As for how did this change occur? There are a number of possibilities.

One idea the researchers raised in the study is that the asteroid itself left ash behind. This ash could possibly have led to the enrichment of the soils, which could have led to a better environment for the flowering plants.

It’s also possible that plants like conifers, which were originally widespread in the area, were simply more vulnerable. Conifers, modern examples of cedars and pines, are known to be once the predominant trees in the world. However, they are known to be very susceptible to fire and extreme heat, as their thin bark and, in the case of pine trees, pine needles and resin are highly flammable.

A third possibility considered by the researchers has to do with the dinosaurs themselves. Trees such as conifers are known to have been the main food source for many herbivorous dinosaurs, and as such it is possible that dinosaur migration patterns and feeding habits helped maintain the previously open structure of the forest. Without the dinosaurs, this completely changed.

And all of these factors have likely played a role collectively. After all, the needles and resin that help make conifers so weak to heat and fire were probably developed as a means of protection against some herbivores.

But while the truth remains unclear, the end result is not surprising. After all, the asteroid impact wiped out more than just the dinosaurs; According to scholars, at least 75% of all life on Earth has completely disappeared.

The asteroid itself is widely considered to be the Chicxulub impactor (also known as the K / Pg impactor), which formed the Chicxulub crater in what is now Mexico. This impact was unprecedented and led to this widespread extinction event which, in turn, paved the way for new evolutionary opportunities that changed the world forever.