Mass Extinction
Physical Geology Essay Assignment: Mass Extinctions
Topic: The Cretaceous - Tertiary extinction
Submitted by
Suhaidee Yusoh
ID No. 15240
Petroleum Geosciences
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI PETRONAS
The Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction
1. Introduction
Fastovsky, D.E. and Weishampel, D.B., 2005 defined the mass extinction “Mass extinctions involve large numbers of species and many types of species undergoing global extinction in a geologically short period of time”, organisms have gone extinct, certainly the present day living things is not the same as in the past. The world has changed over time, leads the existing change and some of them were extinct. In 1983 two paleobiologists, D. M. Raup and J.J. Sepkoski, University of Chicago recognized 15 intervals of mass extinction and divided into three big mass extinctions which are minor, intermediate and major mass extinction. They concluded that the major mass extinction is the only one which is called Permo-Triassic extinction. The dinosaur extinctions were classified as intermediate mass extinctions. Raup and Sepkoski (1982) said in more scientific the mass extinction refers to a large number of different types of organism occupying a range of diverse and widespread environment, with the rate of disappearance of species largely exceeding the natural extinction rate determined from the fossil record. The causes of the extinction are numerous, scientists often differ on the possible causes’ different extinction phenomenon. Prothero, D.R. (2004) stated that the extinction to which the dinosaurs finally vanished is called the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction at the end of Mesozoic Era, which commonly abbreviated K/T extinction. Indeed, the K/T extinctions wipe out not only the dinosaurs but also the ammonites, the marine reptiles, plankton and many others marine invertebrates.
2. The main possible causes for the K/T mass extinction
2.1 Volcanic eruptions Fastovsky, D.E. and Weishampel, D.B. (2005) said some geologist have
Topic: The Cretaceous - Tertiary extinction
Submitted by
Suhaidee Yusoh
ID No. 15240
Petroleum Geosciences
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI PETRONAS
The Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction
1. Introduction
Fastovsky, D.E. and Weishampel, D.B., 2005 defined the mass extinction “Mass extinctions involve large numbers of species and many types of species undergoing global extinction in a geologically short period of time”, organisms have gone extinct, certainly the present day living things is not the same as in the past. The world has changed over time, leads the existing change and some of them were extinct. In 1983 two paleobiologists, D. M. Raup and J.J. Sepkoski, University of Chicago recognized 15 intervals of mass extinction and divided into three big mass extinctions which are minor, intermediate and major mass extinction. They concluded that the major mass extinction is the only one which is called Permo-Triassic extinction. The dinosaur extinctions were classified as intermediate mass extinctions. Raup and Sepkoski (1982) said in more scientific the mass extinction refers to a large number of different types of organism occupying a range of diverse and widespread environment, with the rate of disappearance of species largely exceeding the natural extinction rate determined from the fossil record. The causes of the extinction are numerous, scientists often differ on the possible causes’ different extinction phenomenon. Prothero, D.R. (2004) stated that the extinction to which the dinosaurs finally vanished is called the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction at the end of Mesozoic Era, which commonly abbreviated K/T extinction. Indeed, the K/T extinctions wipe out not only the dinosaurs but also the ammonites, the marine reptiles, plankton and many others marine invertebrates.
2. The main possible causes for the K/T mass extinction
2.1 Volcanic eruptions Fastovsky, D.E. and Weishampel, D.B. (2005) said some geologist have
Bibliography: Alvarez, L.W., Alvarez, W., Asaro, F. & Michel, H.V. (1980, June 6). Extraterrestrial Cause for the Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction. Science, 208(4448), 1095-1108. Cowen, R. (2003, April 4). Welcome to geology 107, Winter 2003. The Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction. Retrieved 9 April 2012 from http://mygeologypage.ucdavis.edu/cowen/~GEL107/index.html Erwin, D.H. (1996, July). The Mother of Mass Extinctions. Scientific American. Fastovsky, D.E. & Weishampel, D.B. (2005). The Evolution and Extinction of the DINOSAURS (2nd ed.). The Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction: the frill is gone Geological record of the latest Cretaceous. New York: Cambridge University Press. Nichols, D.E. & Johnson, K.R. (2008). Plants and the K-T Boundary. New York: Cambridge University Press. Prothero, D.R. (2004). Bringing FOSSILS to life: An introduction to Paleobiology (2nd ed.). Extinction. New York: McGraw-Hill.