Were Dino's dying before an asteroid?

[seeder]

Were the dinosaurs already on their way out before the asteroid hit? Analysis shows animals had been declining for MILLIONS of years before the catastrophic impact

Many believe the dinosaurs were going strong right up to the impact

But new analysis suggests they were in decline for millions of years before

The study shows species were dying out faster than they were emerging

This led to a lack of diversity which impacted their ability to survive

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3546121/Were-dinosaurs-way-asteroid-hit-Analysis-shows-animals-decline-MILLIONS-years-catastrophic-impact.html#ixzz46ENh2s5S

[Codenwarra]

Meh. Not exactly news, since massive lava flows in Siberia date from well before the Chicxulub asteroid and would have altered climate, leading to a decline in dinosaur species. The asteroid was the last straw that broke the brontosaurus back.

[seeder]

Its now been on TV news...

Dinosaurs were in decline before asteroid strike, study finds

A study by researchers at Reading and Bristol Universities has found that dinosaurs were already in decline 50 million years before the asteroid strike that finally wiped them out.

The new analysis challenges the current view that they were flourishing right up until the asteroid hit Earth 66 million years ago

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-36080555

[MissJatti]

has a million years past already,

I mean in 1993 Jurassic Park, and many others stated the dinos died out 65 million years ago. But 23 years later, people are saying the dinos died out 66 million years ago.

[Ashyne]

But dinosaurs didn't go extinct. You can see them everywhere today as birds which evolved from feathered dinosaurs.

[+Hammerclaw]

The Deccan Traps argument has been a fallback position for those who have issues with the Asteroid Impact Theory and the whole idea of Punctuated Equilibrium in evolution, for quite some time.

[BeastieRunner]

But dinosaurs didn't go extinct. You can see them everywhere today as birds which evolved from feathered dinosaurs.

Some.

Not all.

[seeder]

But dinosaurs didn't go extinct. You can see them everywhere today as birds which evolved from feathered dinosaurs.

Thats about like saying caveman didnt go extinct because modern humans thrive...... I can see how youre thinking, but Dinsosaurs, as in huge terrible lizards.... did in deed go extinct..

[paperdyer]

Now if only the medium-sized alligators and crocodiles would do the same. Let's lot forget all of the snakes you don't want to be near, especially when they're hungry or PO'd.

Speaking of evolution. Here's something interesting from one of the science news services I subscribe to:

http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news/2016/04/did-human-limbs-evolve-sharks-gills?et_cid=5239794&et_rid=617257597&location=top&et_cid=5239794&et_rid=617257597&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.laboratoryequipment.com%2fnews%2f2016%2f04%2fdid-human-limbs-evolve-sharks-gills%3fet_cid%3d5239794%26et_rid%3d%%subscriberid%%%26location%3dtop

[clare256]

Now if only the medium-sized alligators and crocodiles would do the same. Let's lot forget all of the snakes you don't want to be near, especially when they're hungry or PO'd.

Speaking of evolution. Here's something interesting from one of the science news services I subscribe to:

http://www.laborator...%%&location=top

Very interesting. Thanks for the link!

[A rather obscure Bassoon]

New Study, I always thought this theory had been floating around for a couple of years.

[Harte]

New Study, I always thought this theory had been floating around for a couple of years.

The study looks like just a duplication of what Robert Bakker published in the early 1980's - outlined for us regular folks in his book "The Dinosaur Heresies" in 1986 link.

Bakker blamed disease primarily, IIRC.

His study showed dramatic drops in the variations among different members of the same genus. The disappearance of large numbers of species indicates problems, even if those species had their niches filled by other members of their genus.

Fewer kinds of stegosaurs or ceratopsians, for example, in other words.

Harte

[BeastieRunner]

New Study, I always thought this theory had been floating around for a couple of years.

The study looks like just a duplication of what Robert Bakker published in the early 1980's - outlined for us regular folks in his book "The Dinosaur Heresies" in 1986 link.

Bakker blamed disease primarily, IIRC.

His study showed dramatic drops in the variations among different members of the same genus. The disappearance of large numbers of species indicates problems, even if those species had their niches filled by other members of their genus.

Fewer kinds of stegosaurs or ceratopsians, for example, in other words.

Harte

So this is a "plebeian" version of Bakker's theory from long ago?

[A rather obscure Bassoon]

But dinosaurs didn't go extinct. You can see them everywhere today as birds which evolved from feathered dinosaurs.

I'll remember that next time I see a T-rex land in my backyard.

[Why not]

I'm sorry but there is no possible way that scales evolved into feathers. Research the structure of a feather and the scales from lizards and dinosaur fossils. I don't see how that claim can be made of scales to feathers. There has to be another reason for feathers.

[Harte]

I'm sorry but there is no possible way that scales evolved into feathers. Research the structure of a feather and the scales from lizards and dinosaur fossils. I don't see how that claim can be made of scales to feathers. There has to be another reason for feathers.

You appear not to know of the multiple feathered dinosaur finds. Turn out a lot of different kinds had feathers of some sort.

Harte

[Harte]

So this is a "plebeian" version of Bakker's theory from long ago?

Don't know. I'll let you know when I read this guy's book, if he writes one.

But AFAIK Bakker was the first to show that there was a decline well before the K-T event.

I'd guess other Paleontologists have shown things along similar lines in the 30 years since Bakker's book.

I saw the paperback was 97 cents.

It's a damn good dinosaur book.

Harte

Edited April 19, 2016 by Harte

[PersonFromPorlock]

The article isn't clear, but a decline in species without a decline in populations might simply indicate that the remaining species were optimally adapted to their environment. Competing species, being less able to exploit the available resources, perished.

After 160 million years of evolving, maybe dinosaurs were asymptotically approaching perfection.

[ShadowSot]

Over specialization is an old idea for their extinction. It certainly isn't a bad one, as the possibility for a homogenous population being unable to adapt quickly to changes in environment from competition or climate or changing ecosystems is a real possibility.

Grasslands started to appear around the same time that sauropods started to diminish, for example.

[Hartmut]

Makes sense, given their lumbering size, although some did manage to evolve into more 'doable size' birds. And other reptiles like the crocodile survived the comet too. :-)

[freetoroam]

I read about this and thought..how long?

The dinosaurs were already in decline 50 million years before the asteroid strike that finally wiped them out, a study suggests.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...onment-36073592

50 millions years? that's some slow decline.

Where does that leave us, I can not even contemplate humans being here for that long, let along declining over that period of time.

Edited April 21, 2016 by freetoroam

[Skulduggery]

Well, dinosaurs had claws. Simple explanation.