impact hypothesis

The impact hypothesis suggests that a large asteroid or comet collided with Earth around 66 million years ago, causing massive destruction. This collision created a worldwide dust cloud that blocked sunlight, drastically cooling the planet. The sudden climate change led to widespread extinction, including the dinosaurs. This idea is supported by evidence such as a distinctive layer of iridium (a rare metal) found in rock formations from that time and the impact crater buried beneath the Yucatán Peninsula called the Chicxulub crater. The impact hypothesis is a leading explanation for the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period.