[meteorite-list] Mass Extinctions

From: Tracy Latimer <tracyl_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:02:29 2004
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.93.1020315142435.24922C-100000_at_netra.lib.state.hi.us>

the trouble with confirming mass extinctions as being caused by a cometary
or meteorite impact is that the evidence is almost always completely
circumstantial. The one for which we have the best evidence is the most
recent (that which supposedly killed off the dinosaurs, 65 mya), but there
have been at least 4 other major extinctions, marked by the disappearance
of up to 95% of organisms from the fossil record. Trouble is, we don't
have any "hard" evidence that any of these were caused by a big impact.

Tracy Latimer
Received on Fri 15 Mar 2002 07:32:23 PM PST