Scientists have identified the type of meteorite that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. The meteorite, a rare carbon monoxide chondrite, was found to be the cause of the mass extinction event that led to the demise of the dinosaurs.
The Discovery
An international research team used advanced nickel isotope analysis to determine the composition of the meteorite. The team found that the meteorite was a type of carbonaceous chondrite, which makes up only 5% of meteorites found on Earth.
The researchers also found that the meteorite was around six miles wide and slammed into the Earth’s surface at an estimated 40,000 mph, forming the massive Chicxulub crater in Mexico.
According to Philippe Claeys, a visiting professor at the University of British Columbia in Canada, the fine debris thrown into the atmosphere by the meteorite was likely responsible for killing off many of Earth’s species, including the dinosaurs.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
