Re:Dinosaur extinction

[Stanley Friesen <sarima@ix.netcom.com>]

At 09:17 AM 2/18/98 +0100, Andreas Kolle wrote:
>In my opinion, these still solve little or nothing.
>1) Dinos froze to death. Why didn't the crocodiles? ...

Good point.

>2)Same problem, besides I sincerely doubt that vulcanoes errupting 
>was a new thing in the K/T period.

Volcanism wasn't new.

Flood type eruptions, however, had not occurred for many millions of years
previously.  And the Deccan Traps are second only to the Siberian Traps (of
the Permo-Triassic boundary) in volume.

So, it is not merely the fact of volcanic eruptions, it is the existence of
a *temporally* *rare*, unusually voluminous type of eruptions across the
boundary.

The closest we have today are the Iceland volcanics.  (And it is
interesting to note, the Late Pliestocene/Holocene has been a time of
moderate extinctions).

>3)Memory might serve me wrong, but I thought that pangea only was a
>jurassic phenomenon. However, it explains that some areas got cold, 
>but others must have remained warm, ad why did they die?

Permian through Early Jurassic.

Still, much too early to have much to do with the K-T extinctions.

>4) Changes always happen. I doubt that no dino could adapt.

When rapid changes occur, *some* species adapt, some do not.

--------------
May the peace of God be with you.         sarima@ix.netcom.com
                                          sfriesen@netlock.com