TEORIES OF MASS EXTNCTION大规模灭绝理论及.pptVIP

Takes place in repeating cycles, i.e. Warm age followed by Ice age Volcano activity A possible cause for the cooling of the earth due to large volumes of dust blown into the atmosphere that blocks out the sun’s rays. Reduces solar radiation. 2. Heating of the atmosphere Example: Extinction in Gondwanaland (Clarens in the Free State) A mild climate with plenty of water in large lake systems, to a hot, dry desert climate. Warmer climate leads to change in environmental food chains. Disease Change in climate - influences presence of disease causing organisms in environments and their effect on the survival of other organisms. Also theory of extraterrestrial viral and bacterial invasion Extraterrestrial theories Explosion of a stars Influence on earth radiation levels and destroys ozone layer May have influenced extinctions (no scientific proof as yet) Meteorite / asteroid collisions with earth Meteorite –Large rocklike mass that falls from outer space onto earth – larger than 1 km (Vredefort and Parys) Asteroid –off course orbiting fragments of a failed planet in the Asteroid Belt between Mars Jupiter Meteor – small fragments, burn up in space, called shooting stars Comet – revolves in elliptic orbit around the sun, has solid nucleus + gaseous tail Gamma radiation – from dying stars METEORITES Meteors (shooting stars) burn and glow when they enter earth’s atmosphere. Most disintegrate into ashes and debris. Some remain intact, known as Meteorites, to create craters on earth. Can destroy life forms by shutting off sunlight for months / years. Meteorites and Extinction Growing evidence that meteorites are responsible for some major mass extinctions. Meteorites may have added the final blow to species that were already weakened by global temperature changes, etc. What happened to Dinosaurs? Scientific evidence: Meteorite impact melted rocks in 200km diameter crater near Mexico. Sediments deposited by enormous tsunamis (tida