Have you ever wondered how the dinosaurs died so long ago? Perhaps you remember reading something when you were in grade school or perhaps you just never really new. All you know is that they used to be on the planet and they no longer are. 

Dinosaurs were on the planet 160 million years ago. They ended up becoming extinct 65.5 million years ago. One of the reasons why many people don’t know the answer to why dinosaurs suddenly became extinct is because there is no answer that scientists are 100% sure about. In fact, they have two thoughts on it but are not 100%.  

The two most common theories are that something hit planet earth which wiped out all the dinosaurs. The other theory is that a volcano erupted which flushed out the dinosaurs. There are also smaller theories out there such as there suddenly was not enough food to feed them and they slowly started dying off. There also is a theory that they all suffered from the same disease and much like a plague, wiped out all of the dinosaurs.

For many years, people thought the reason was from climate change. This would have been explained because of the humidity and tropical state the climate would have been in. During the Mesozoic Era, which is the era in which dinosaurs lived, there is evidence that the planet had become cooler at this time. This means it was harder to maintain body temperature. Cold-blooded animals didn’t have any issues with this. Scientists today state that this could not have been what killed off dinosaurs because there would have been more evidence of it.

Let’s talk a little bit more about the first theory. This is the theory that something hit the earth. The evidence here is that rock has been found among the earth and even into the ocean. Since it has been found inside the ocean that means if something were to hit the earth, it would have hit very hard. Not everyone believes this but the two main theories are pretty set at 50/50. It’s interesting that that would not happen today as we would be able to better predict and see something coming and earth and prepare ourselves accordingly. As for back then, they would have no idea and the dinosaurs would suddenly either die immediately or die off over time as less and less of them were around to reproduce with.

The second theory is that a volcano hit planet earth which erupted. This volcano would have been 110 miles long and would have been out to the Gulf of Mexico. This would have ignited wildfires around the world and the debris and clouds inside the air would have caused the dinosaurs to then become extinct.

The final theory is putting these two together. The theory is that something hit planet earth and it sent shock waves around the world. These shock waves triggered an earthquake as well as a volcano. By incorporating all of these theories, dinosaurs were not able to survive and therefore became extinct.

Today, there are very few scientists that feel very comfortable with how they believe dinosaurs become extinct. Most of them have a specific theory but do not have full proof that that is how it took place. What is interesting about it is that something must have happened for dinosaurs to become extinct, it’s just a matter of learning what that something is. Although a volcano may have happened, since it could have been a couple of million years after dinosaurs were gone, it’s hard to tell if it is during the exact time period.

Some scientists still believe smaller theories such as the climate change theory. Scientists continue to research the planet so that they can learn more about what happened millions and millions of years ago and perhaps one day find out exactly what happened to dinosaurs and what caused them to die off suddenly.

As you can see, there are so many different theories as to how the dinosaurs became extinct. It’s hard for anyone to be completely sure as there is no evidence that is concrete. It’s a great idea to learn more about the different theories so you not only have a better understanding of dinosaurs, but you have a better understanding of history. If you have a child and you want to introduce them to history, teaching them about dinosaurs is a great start.

For more information about dinosaurs, them becoming extinct, or dinosaur toys for children, check out Dinosaur.org