‘Unlucky’ dinosaurs: no extinction if asteroid had hit almost any other part of Earth

Only 13% of the Earth's surface harboured rich enough hydrocarbon deposits to cause a mass extinction following an impact, research reveals

The massive asteroid that slammed into Earth and wiped out the dinosaurs might never have triggered a mass extinction had it struck almost any other part of the planet, scientists claim.

In work that reveals just how unlucky the prehistoric beasts were, researchers calculate that the odds of the enormous space rock wreaking such havoc were low across 87% of the Earth's surface.