Scientists identify the rare meteorite that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago
Scientists have identified a rare CO chondrite meteorite as the likely cause of the dinosaur extinction 66 million years ago. Analysis of nickel isotopes suggests that fine atmospheric debris, rather than sulfur, was the primary driver of the climate catastrophe.
Why it matters
This research refines our understanding of Earth's history and the specific mechanisms behind mass extinction events.
A rare type of meteorite known as a CO chondrite was likely the object that slammed into Earth 66 million years ago and triggered the extinction of about 75 percent of all species, including every non-avian dinosaur.
Researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC), Paris, Brussels, and Vienna reached that conclusion by analyzing nickel isotopes preserved in material left behind by the Cretaceous-Paleogene impact. Their findings were published in Science Advances .
A Rare Meteorite Behind the Dinosaur Extinction
"Carbonaceous chondrites of the Ornans class are definitely not like the typical meteors you find in museum collections," says Dr. Philippe Claeys, who worked on the study as a visiting professor at UBC.
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