Were Dinosaurs Undergoing Long-Term Decline Before Mass Extinction?

Were dinosaurs already undergoing a long-term decline before an asteroid hit at the end of the Cretaceous about 65.5 million years ago? A new study led by scientists at the American Museum of Natural History gives a multifaceted answer.

The findings, published online on May 1, 2012, in the journal Nature Communications, suggest that in general, large-bodied, "bulk-feeding" herbivores were declining during the last 12 million years of the Cretaceous. But carnivorous dinosaurs and mid-sized herbivores were not.

"Few issues in the history of paleontology have fueled as much research and popular fascination as the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs," says lead author Steve Brusatte, a Columbia University graduate student affiliated with the Museum's Division of Paleontology. "Did sudden volcanic eruptions or an asteroid impact strike down dinosaurs during theirprime? We found that it was probably much more complex than that, and maybe not the sudden catastrophe that is often portrayed."

The research team, which includes Brusatte; Mark Norell, chair of the Museum's Division of Paleontology; and scientists Richard Butler of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and Albert Prieto-Márquez from the Bavarian State Collection for Palaeontology, both in Germany, is the first to look at dinosaur extinction based on "morphological disparity"—the variability of body structure within particular groups of dinosaurs.

For more information, read the Museum's press release about this new research: http://www.amnh.org/science/papers/ex...

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[biturboism]

I hope you get your virgins soon.

[095pirre]

Why do you even bother watching this video if you're so refuse to believe in this! I respect any religion and belief, but i hate people who speak out that their belief is the right one, and that any other belief is a bunch of crap, and that includes both christians, scientific atheists, muslims or any other 'religion'. >:(

[Chandler Hecht]

@sunnahproduction Excuse me, but I'm interested to know how you're so aware of what I believe in. You speak with confidence on the subject and yet, I do not believe in leaders at all. That's a false statement, I am an anarchist. I agree with your statement about leaders, but I'm also a believer in science. I respect Islam a lot as a religion and belief system, and although I don't know where you get this idea from, dinosaurs existed. The end.

[Chandler Hecht]

just because you're aware of conspiracy theories doesnt make them all true.

[sunnahproduction]

what a bunch of fools... i cant believe that i live in a planet were people have been so brainwashed by these free masons so that they believe i dinos...

[squirreljester2]

Yeah, that's an awesome video, I saw that when it came out. I highly recommend it to anyone interested.

[SwineNahNah]

Soooo, it's like "Jurrassic Park" was actually a CG hentai of dinosaur futanari?

Eeeewww!