Dinosaurs are believed to have first existed on Earth 230 million years ago, but they went extinct 65 million years ago. Scientists around the world study these creatures. Still, much of their lives remain a mystery to us. What would life be like if they were still around?
What Was the World Like for the Dinosaurs?
All of what we know about dinosaurs comes from their fossils. Paleontologists study these fossils to learn more about what the world was like when the dinosaurs were around. Dinosaurs lived on the planet for nearly 165 million years. There were three different time periods for the dinosaurs, the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous.
The Triassic Period lasted from 252-201 million years ago. The environment of this period was very diverse consisting of forests, deserts, and prairies. Many of the dinosaurs in the Triassic Period were smaller in size and two-legged. Many marine animals, lizards, and tortoises roamed the land during this period.
The Jurassic Period went from 201 million years ago to 145 million years ago. The environment became humid and subtropical, with many of the dinosaurs being herbivores. Still, smaller carnivores roamed the lush grounds. In this period, not only did species explore the land, but they swam in the oceans and soared through the skies. The Jurassic Period is also known as the golden time for dinosaurs as there were an estimated 900 different species of dinosaurs at this time.
How Did the Dinosaurs Go Extinct?
Around 66 million years ago the dinosaurs went extinct, but how? Although there are multiple theories, scientists are almost fully positive that it was an asteroid that killed the dinosaurs. It is believed that when the asteroid hit Earth in the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, it created a great plume of smoke that covered the sky and blocked the sun’s light. This caused great devastation because without sunlight the plants withered and so did the dinosaurs that relied on the plants for a food source. The carnivorous dinosaurs also perished because the food sources they relied on withered away.
When the dinosaurs disappeared from the planet many small reptiles, mammals, and plants took over. The asteroid destroyed about half of the plant species and mammals thrived, but the plants slowly gained control and flourished. Although the dinosaurs went extinct we still live with their only direct descendant, birds!
How Would Dinosaurs Change Our Lives?
Scientifically, there is no way the dinosaurs could live at the same time as humans, what would happen if they did?
Situation One: The asteroid arrived later. The asteroid landed in shallow waters vaporizing anything in its path, but scientists believe that if the asteroid appeared thirty seconds later it would have landed somewhere in the Atlantic or Pacific ocean. While this would still cause devastation, enormous waves, and destruction not all of the dinosaurs would disappear. It was only after these mighty creatures were gone that mammals began to thrive and evolve. Due to this mammals will most likely have not evolved into the creatures we are today.
Situation Two: Dinosaurs are magically brought back to life. This is scientifically impossible for now still if it did happen it would most likely cause chaos. Not only would us humans be surprised by the sudden appearance of the dinosaurs but so would they. The dinosaurs are likely to become scared and attack so we will respond the same way. Even if that doesn’t happen, dinosaurs are not accustomed to the way the world is now and they may perish from disease or lack of food. Many people will react differently to the materialization of the dinosaurs. One thing is for certain, nature is delicate and the actions of the dinosaurs or humans may disturb the fragile balance.
All in all any way you look at it, if the dinosaurs didn’t go extinct, their lives or our lives would be very different.