Preview
Description
The Cretaceous Period ends with a mass extinction. An asteroid six miles in diameter is believed to have hit the Yucatan Peninsula. Shock waves reverberate around Earth. Debris flying high above the atmosphere rains down with incinerating heat. Later, dust and aerosols block sunlight, and temperatures plunge. Photosynthesis stalls. All animals over 55 pounds disappear, including the beloved dinos. Many plant species disappear, and the diversity of plankton and sponges falls sharply. Approximately 85 percent of ocean-dwelling protoctists and marine animal species are lost. It requires 20 million years for new life forms with high levels of diversity to reappear.
Date Created
1997
Holding Institution
University of Montana--Missoula. Environmental Studies Program
Rights Statement
Rights Holder
© 1997 Stiftung Drittes Millennium
Item Type
Exhibit
Digital File Format
image/jpeg
Media Type
Text; Image
Digital Image Number
79_wtt_file04_60-79.jpg
Recommended Citation
Liebes, Sid; Mittelstadt, Laurie; Waugh, Barbara; and Brynes, Lois, "Panel 79: Megafauna Mega-Extinction" (1997). A Walk Through Time - From Stardust To Us. 79.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/awalkthroughtime/79