Study shows Climate change led to steep decline of Dinosaurs long before asteroid strike

Several researchers have pointed out that dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago due to an asteroid impact. However, a new study has suggested that dinosaurs were witnessing a decline from 10 million years before asteroid strike. Researchers noted that some species like ankylosaurs, ceratopsians declined sharply and only troodontids showed a very small decline. Researchers analysed six families of dinosaurs and found that species appeared and disappeared between 160 and 66 million years ago. 

Dinosaurs were on  decline due to climate change

researchers analysed dinosaur families of Ankylosauridae (armoured dinosaurs), Ceratopsidae (horned dinosaurs), Dromaeosauridae (feared ropod dinosaurs), Hrosauridae (duck-billed dinosaurs), Troodontidae (bird-like ropod dinosaurs) and Tyrannosauridae (tyrant dinosaurs). se six families were divided into two datasets based on ir diets, carnivorous and herbivorous. carnivorous dinosaurs (ropoda) included three families Dromaeosauridae, Troodontidae and Tyrannosauridae. herbivorous dinosaurs (Ornithischia) included three families Ankylosauridae, Ceratopsidae and Hrosauridae. Scientists compiled all information on se dinosaur families for five years. Researchers used a statistical model to estimate number of species that evolved over time for each family. 

Meanwhile, a new species of giant dinosaur has been discovered in southwest Queensland in Australia. Australotitan cooperensis belonged to a group of dinosaurs known as titanosaurians, which were last surviving group of long-necked dinosaurs. Researchers at Eromanga Natural History Museum (ENHM) and Queensland Museum published ir findings in PeerJ scientific journal.

IMAGE: Unsplash