Archyde
April 4, 2021 by archyde
About 66 million years ago, a massive asteroid collided with what is now known as Yucatan, plunging Earth into darkness. The impact transformed the tropical rainforests, giving birth to flowers.
Today, tropical rainforests are a hotspot for biodiversity and play an important role in global climate systems. A new study was published today in
La science It sheds light on the origins of modern rainforests and can help scientists understand how tropical forests will respond to the rapidly changing climate of the future.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), showed that an asteroid collision that ended the dinosaur reign 66 million years ago also caused the extinction of 45 % of plants in what is now Colombia, giving way. at risk of extinction. The reign of flowering plants in modern tropical forests.
Loading video.
VIDEO: What happened in the tropics when an asteroid hit the planet and how did it shape today s rainforests? view more
Credit: Monica Carvalho
Tropical rainforests today are biodiversity hotspots and play an important role in the world s climate systems. A new study published today in
Science sheds light on the origins of modern rainforests and may help scientists understand how rainforests will respond to a rapidly changing climate in the future.
The study led by researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) shows that the asteroid impact that ended the reign of dinosaurs 66 million years ago also caused 45% of plants in what is now Colombia to go extinct, and it made way for the reign of flowering plants in modern tropical rainforests.