The Chixulub asteroid, which led to the extinction of the dinosaurs, came from a C-type asteroid that originated beyond Jupiter, thus the study rules out other hypotheses such as volcanic activity or comets
Scientists have determined that the asteroid responsible for the mass extinction 66 million years ago was a rare carbonaceous asteroid that came from regions beyond Jupiter. This discovery helps to understand the nature of the Chicxulub asteroid and changes our understanding of Earth's history and asteroid impacts.
This asteroid, which led to the extinction of the dinosaurs, came from a C-type asteroid that originated beyond Jupiter, thus ruling out other hypotheses such as volcanic activity or comets.
The scientists identified the origin and composition of the asteroid, and determined that it is a rare carbonaceous asteroid that originated beyond Jupiter. These insights stimulate ongoing discussions about the characteristics of the asteroid Chixolov and add to our knowledge about the cosmic bodies that hit the Earth and affected it.
Mass extinctions in the past
Earth has experienced several mass extinction events throughout history. The last event occurred 66 million years ago, at the border between the Cretaceous and Paleogene eras (known as the K-Pg boundary), and caused the extinction of about 60% of the species that were on Earth at the time, including the non-avian dinosaurs.
Chicxulub, the giant asteroid that collided with Earth in what is now the Gulf of Mexico, is thought to be primarily responsible for this extinction. Evidence for this includes high levels of platinum group elements (PGEs) such as iridium, ruthenium, osmium, rhodium, platinum and palladium in layers at the K-Pg boundary. These elements are rare on Earth but common in meteorites. These high levels were found worldwide, suggesting that the impact dispersed debris globally.
Distinguishing between the Chicxulub impact and volcanic activity
While some have suggested that massive volcanism in the Deccan Traps province is a possible source of PGEs, the specific ratios of the PGEs at the K-Pg boundary are more consistent with asteroid impacts than volcanism. However, not much is known about the nature, composition, and origin of asteroid Chiksolov.
Isotopic analysis to clarify the origin of the asteroid
To address these questions, the researchers analyzed ruthenium (Ru) isotopes from samples taken from the K-Pg boundary, and compared them to samples from other asteroid impacts from the past 541 million years and samples from carbonaceous meteorites. They found that the isotopic signatures of ruthenium were consistent with carbonaceous asteroids rather than Earth soil or other meteorites, suggesting that the asteroid likely came from a C-type asteroid that formed in the outer Solar System.
They also ruled out the possibility that the object that collided with Earth was a comet. These results, together with previous samples, indicate that the origin of the asteroids that collided with the Earth may be the outer solar system during late periods of the Earth's formation.
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