CHICXULUB, Mexico. A groundbreaking study suggests that the asteroid responsible for the mass extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago likely originated from beyond Jupiter’s orbit, providing new insights into the origins of one of Earth’s most catastrophic events.
Published in the journal Science on Thursday, the study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Mario Fischer-Gödde from the University of Cologne in Germany. The scientists examined geological remains at the Chicxulub impact site in modern-day Mexico, where the asteroid struck with devastating force millions of years ago.
The team focused on analyzing ruthenium isotopes found in the impact deposits, comparing them with various classes of meteorites. “They found that the Chicxulub impactor was a carbonaceous asteroid that formed in the outer Solar System,” the study explains. This discovery contrasts with other known asteroid impacts, which were primarily caused by silicate asteroids originating in the inner Solar System.
Further, the study highlights that the Chicxulub impact created a global stratigraphic layer that marks the boundary between the Cretaceous and Paleogene eras, containing elevated concentrations of platinum-group elements, including ruthenium. This evidence supports the theory that the asteroid was formed in a region of the Solar System beyond Jupiter.
“So far, Chicxulub… seems to be a unique and rare case of a carbonaceous-type asteroid hitting Earth,” Fischer-Gödde told The New York Times, adding that previous studies have pointed to similar conclusions about the asteroid’s origins.
Fischer-Gödde also reflected on the significance of this event in Earth’s history: “Without this impact, what would our Earth look like today? We should probably value, a bit more, that we are around and this is maybe a lucky coincidence that everything came to place like it is today.”
The findings offer a deeper understanding of the cosmic forces that shaped the history of our planet, emphasizing the extraordinary and unique circumstances that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs and the eventual rise of mammals, including humans.
Scientists investigating the asteroid that wiped out dinosaurs after slamming into the Earth 66 million years ago have released a new study suggesting that it formed “beyond the orbit of Jupiter.”
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
