Dinosaurs weren’t in decline at the time, the asteroid struck and wiped them out, according to a study

Dinosaurs could have “thrived” on Earth for many years had it not been for the massive asteroid that hit the planet and wiped them out, a new study has found.

Research from the University of Bath and the Natural History Museum claims to shed new light on the extinction of the monstrous reptiles, which has fascinated humans for hundreds of years.

Previous studies have suggested that dinosaur populations were already in steep decline some 66 million years ago when the asteroid struck, eliminating any chance of recovery.

But now the researchers say the dinosaurs could have continued to dominate the planet for much longer if the extraordinary celestial event hadn’t occurred.

The team of scientists collected a number of different dinosaur family trees and used statistical models to assess whether major dinosaur groups were still capable of producing new species in this era.

They concluded that they were and that the dinosaur could have continued to be the “dominant group of terrestrial animals on the planet” and “thriving” if the asteroid’s impact hadn’t been so devastating.

“Previous studies by others have used various methods to draw the conclusion that dinosaurs would still be dead, as they were in decline towards the end of the Cretaceous period,” said Joe Bonsor, first author of the study at the university.

However, if the dataset is expanded to include newer dinosaur family trees and a wider range of dinosaur types, the findings contradict previous findings, he adds.

Research says it is difficult to assess dinosaur diversity due to gaps in the fossil record.

In the study, the researchers used statistical methods to overcome these sampling biases by looking at the rates of evolution between dinosaur families, rather than counting the number of species in the family.

“The main point of our article is that it’s not as simple as looking at some trees and making a decision. The big inevitable bias in the fossil record and lack of data can often show a decline in species, but this may not be a reflection of reality at the moment, ”Bonsor said.

Previously, research from University College London also suggested that such a large extinction of species could only be due to the impact of a massive asteroid hitting Earth, after analyzing various extinction scenarios.

Scientists believe the massive asteroid that struck the planet 66 million years ago triggered a series of earthquakes, giant tsunamis and volcanic eruptions that ultimately led to the extinction of dinosaurs and many other species, in what is now. known as the fifth mass extinction of the Earth.