Page 18 - Dinosaur (DK Eyewitness Books)

The end of an era

DȪȯȰȴȢȶȳȴ ȧȭȰȶȳȪȴȩȦȥ ȧȰȳ more than 160 million
years. Then, about 65 million years ago, all disappeared
except for the small theropods that we know as birds.
Most other sizeable creatures vanished, too, such as
the gigantic swimming reptiles and the skin-winged
flying reptiles called pterosaurs. Great changes must

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS have happened to the world to drive so many kinds
Volcanic eruptions in central India of animal into extinction. At least two great disasters
at the end of the Cretaceous Period
released vast lava flows and huge struck. First came a series of massive volcanic
quantities of dust and toxic gases eruptions. Then an asteroid (a large lump of
into the atmosphere. Blown around
the world by winds, they could have rock from space) as big as a city hit Earth with
altered climates in ways that killed
many plants and animals. the force of a colossal nuclear explosion.

ASTEROID IMPACT
About 65 million years ago, a molten asteroid 6 miles (10 km) across
crashed into Earth at several thousand miles an hour. The fireball
struck with the force of more than two million hydrogen bombs,
sending enormous shockwaves rippling around the world. Immense Fireball striking
clouds of dust hid the Sun for months. The whole planet cooled, Earth
which had devastating effects on the world’s climate, helping to kill
seven out of every ten species of creature that lived on land or at sea.

Shockwave