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What evidence suggests that the dinosaurs were wiped out by a large asteroid strike?

A) Fossil Records, Dinosaur Evolution
B) Geological Layers, Iridium Abundance
C) Ancient Volcanic Activity, Climate Change
D) Marine Fossils, Human Intervention

User Akhilrajtr
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The correct answer is B) Geological Layers, Iridium Abundance, which points to key evidence like the iridium layer and the Chicxulub crater associated with the asteroid strike that led to the end-Cretaceous mass extinction of the dinosaurs.

Step-by-step explanation:

Evidence that suggests dinosaurs were wiped out by a large asteroid strike is found primarily in geological layers and the unusual abundance of iridium.

This rare element is not common on Earth's surface but is found widely dispersed in the boundary layer between the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods, corresponding with the time of the mass extinction.

Additional evidence includes a well-dated crater at the Yucatán Peninsula and findings of shocked quartz and other materials indicative of a high-energy impact.

Moreover, after the asteroid strike, the resulting dust clouds would have significantly altered the climate, affecting the dinosaurs' survival.

The specific options provided in the question correlate best with option B) Geological Layers, Iridium Abundance, which directly references the critical evidence supporting the asteroid impact theory.

While a series of climactic disturbances were already challenging the dinosaurs, the asteroid impact is considered the critical event that led to the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous Period.

The presence of materials such as shocked quartz, and the fossil record's abrupt change, support the conclusion that the impact played a major role in the dinosaurs' extinction.

User Mkedobbs
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