Springtime Asteroid Hit Ramped Up Extinction Rates, Say Scientists

Having an asteroid slam into Earth was catastrophic for the dinosaurs, but the season of the strike may have substantially ramped up extinction rates for others species, research suggests. From a report: Scientists have found evidence that the devastating impact 66m years ago, which wiped out three-quarters of Earth's species and created the Chicxulub crater in modern-day Mexico, happened in the spring in the northern hemisphere. The timing means that many animals north of the equator would have been particularly vulnerable to the intense heatwave unleashed by the collision, having just emerged from the harsh months of winter. Other animals in the south may have fared better given that it was autumn, especially if they were hunkering down in burrows. The direct hit from the asteroid triggered an extreme global heatwave that proved lethal for many exposed animals. In the aftermath, temperatures are thought to have plummeted in a nuclear winter that drove many more species to extinction.

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