Here is a concise summary of the text:
**Title:** The Murder of the Dinosaurs: Asteroid or Ancient Volcano?
**Summary:**
* The extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago is re-examined, questioning the sole blame on a massive asteroid impact.
* New evidence suggests the Deccan Traps, a vast volcanic region in ancient India, may have been the primary killer.
* The volcanic eruptions, spanning hundreds of thousands of years, released massive amounts of toxic gases, causing:
+ Global warming and cooling fluctuations
+ Acid rain and ocean acidification
+ Devastating wildfires and hypercanes
* The asteroid impact may have been the final blow to an already dying world.
* Scientists debate the relative contributions of the asteroid and volcanic eruptions to the mass extinction.
* The text also hints at a "serial killer" pattern, where massive volcanic eruptions (e.g., Siberian Traps) may have caused other major mass extinctions in Earth's history.
**Non-essential but notable:** The summary is followed by an advertisement for KiwiCo, a company offering science and learning project crates for kids (and adults).
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, numbered and in short sentences, excluding opinions:
**Geological and Paleontological Facts**
1. A mass extinction event occurred approximately 66 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs.
2. This event marked the end of the Cretaceous period and the beginning of a new geological era.
3. Before the extinction, Earth was in one of its hottest and most humid periods, with lush jungles and woodlands covering much of the planet.
4. Oversized animals, including pterosaurs, marine lizards, and long-necked monsters, inhabited the Earth.
5. Dinosaurs dominated the Earth for over 150 million years, with most land animals larger than 1 meter being dinosaurs.
**Asteroid Impact**
6. An asteroid, approximately 10 km across, hit Earth around the time of the mass extinction.
7. The asteroid's impact was equivalent to the power of 4 billion atomic bombs.
**Deccan Traps Volcanic Eruptions**
8. The Deccan Traps, a volcanic region in India, began erupting around 800,000 years before the asteroid impact.
9. These eruptions released 10 million tonnes of CO2 and sulfur dioxide per year for half a million years.
10. The eruptions intensified, producing massive lava floods, around 300,000 years before the asteroid impact.
11. The Deccan Traps continued to expel tens of trillions of tons of deadly gases for another 800,000 years after the asteroid impact.
**Environmental Consequences**
12. Global temperatures initially rose by at least 2°C in 100,000 years due to the volcanic eruptions.
13. A period of cooling followed, stressing ecosystems that had adapted to the warmer temperatures.
14. Acid rain and ocean acidification occurred due to the sulfur and CO2 emissions.
15. Hypercanes (giant cyclones) may have formed, causing further devastation.
**Mass Extinction Consequences**
16. Approximately 75% of all species on Earth, including most dinosaurs, went extinct.
17. Birds, direct descendants of dinosaurs, were among the few survivors.
**Scientific Debate and Context**
18. Scientists debate the relative contributions of the asteroid impact and Deccan Traps eruptions to the mass extinction.
19. At least 4 of the 5 major mass extinctions in Earth's history coincided with massive volcanic eruptions.
20. The Siberian Traps, another volcanic region, caused the Permian mass extinction, which wiped out 95% of all species on Earth.