Among its contents, it is suggested the dinosaurs died out "because the weather got too hot"; "because the weather got to cold"; "because the weather got too dry"; "because the weather got too wet;" ; "because the weather got too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter;" "because the land became too hilly"; "because new kinds of plants evolved which poisoned all the dinosaurs"; "because new kinds of insects evolved which spread deadly diseases"; "because new kinds of mammals evolved which competed for food"; "because new kinds of mammals ate the dinosaurs eggs"- (Baker, 425)
However the one that will presently be dealt with is the theory of catastrophe. That is to say, the idea that an asteroid (or meteor) collided with the earth, setting in motion a chain of events which eventually led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. This is generally considered the most acceptable theory among scientists, and seems to be the most logical. When and how did this outrageous genocide occur? What were the immediate and long term effects not only on dinosaurs, but the planet earth as whole? How valid is this theory, and are there any holes in it? Also, is it compatible with the Darwinian concepts that are a large part of our understanding of life on earth?.
To begin, one must have an idea of the time periods that are being discussed. It is believed that dinosaurs "met their maker" during the late Cretaceous period, or about 66 million years ago. Prior to their end, they had ruled our planet for approximately 160 million years. This time is sometimes called "The Age of the Reptile". Many other forms of life were also present, a number of which are ancestors of the organism we see everyday with our own eyes. .
During their reign on earth, dinosaurs left behind many clues (fossils) that allow us to know the limited amount of information we do about them. The origin of the catastrophe theory can be traced back to Italy, sometime in 1979.