Dinosaurs Weren’t Fading Before the Asteroid—We Just Suck at Finding Their Fossils

Diversity is central to one of the biggest questions paleontologists have about dinosaurs. Namely, were these ancient creatures already on the decline when that fateful asteroid came crashing out of the sky? A group of Earth scientists believes they probably were not. While it’s true that fossils from the final dinosaur era are comparatively rare compared to those that came before, it seems the fossil record may not be telling the entire story. The point may seem moot: one way or the other, dead is dead, and this mass die-off occurred more than 66 million years ago. But among paleontologists, it’s a bit of a hot-button issue. For decades, scientists have argued both for and against the idea that extinction rates among dinosaurs were accelerating towards the end of their reign. Those who believe dinosaurs were dwindling claim that new species were appearing with less frequency compared to previous eras. Some reachers have presented evidence suggesting a shifting climate was partially ... Read full article.