In 1980, scientists suggested that the great mass extinction of 65 million years ago (which ended the reign of dinosaurs) may have been caused by a large impact from space. What discovery gives a big boost to this idea?
A) the discovery of some possible traces of life in a meteorite from Mars
B) the discovery of a crater (about a mile across) near Flagstaff, Arizona
C) the discovery of a buried crater (about 200 km across) near Chicxulub, Mexico
D) the discovery of volcanoes on a moon of Jupiter's
E) the discovery of enormous trenches on the ocean floor

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The discovery of a buried crater (about 200 km across) near Chicxulub, Mexico provides strong evidence for the idea that a large impact from space caused the mass extinction event. This crater is the right size and age to have been caused by the impact of a large asteroid or comet, and many scientists believe that the impact was responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs and many other species.

In 1980, Scientists Suggested That the Great Mass Extinction of 65