What Ended the Age of Dinosaurs
The end of dinosaurs is linked to a mass extinction about 66 million years ago at the close of the Cretaceous period. A widely accepted explanation is a large asteroid impact combined with intense volcanic activity, which changed the climate and disrupted food chains.
How the Extinction Unfolded
The impact would have triggered fires, tsunamis, and a long-term drop in temperature. Dust and aerosols blocked sunlight, reducing plant growth and collapsing ecosystems. Non-avian dinosaurs, along with many marine reptiles and flying reptiles, disappeared within a geologically short timeframe.
What Survived and Evolved
Birds, mammals, and many freshwater species survived the end of dinosaurs. With large predators gone, mammals diversified into new ecological roles. Birds, as direct descendants of theropod dinosaurs, are the only dinosaur lineage that continued to evolve into the modern world.
Learn more about mass extinction and how life recovered after the end of dinosaurs.
