What if dinosaurs hadn't gone extinct.
Discussion
Milkyway said:
What if the meteorite had missed us completely... or just crashed harmlessly into an ocean.
What path would evolution have taken.
Some interesting theories abound...we would probably have evolved... in one form or another.
The 'interesting theories' are pure speculation. It is extremely unlikely we would have evolved as a species if dinosaurs hadn't become extinct. The meteor caused such widespread changes worldwide that the Earth became a completely different place, so if it hadn't hit, the Earth wouldn't look anything like it does today.What path would evolution have taken.
Some interesting theories abound...we would probably have evolved... in one form or another.
Milkyway said:
What if the meteorite had missed us completely... or just crashed harmlessly into an ocean.
What path would evolution have taken.
Some interesting theories abound...we would probably have evolved... in one form or another.
From Gemini What path would evolution have taken.
Some interesting theories abound...we would probably have evolved... in one form or another.
If the Chicxulub asteroid had missed Earth 66 million years ago, dinosaurs (excluding birds) would very likely still be the dominant large land animals, and humans, as we know them, would almost certainly not exist. The absence of the K-Pg mass extinction would have resulted in a radically different evolutionary path, with the "Age of Reptiles" continuing indefinitely.
The World Ruled by Dinosaurs
Continued Dominance: Dinosaurs were thriving and diverse at the end of the Cretaceous period. Without the catastrophe, they would have continued to occupy the vast majority of ecological niches on land, from giant herbivores like titanosaurs to large predators like tyrannosaurs and dromaeosaurs.
Evolutionary Trajectory: Dinosaurs would have continued to evolve and adapt to changing climates and environments over the past 66 million years, including ice ages and the spread of flowering plants.
Some might have developed adaptations for colder climates, such as thicker feathers or shaggy pelts.
Herbivorous dinosaurs may have developed specialized snouts for grazing on the expanding grasslands, similar to modern ungulates.
While some species might have grown smaller over time, the iconic large megafauna would likely persist in vast wildernesses.
Intelligence: Some smaller, bipedal, omnivorous theropods, like Troodon, had relatively large brains for their body size and forward-facing eyes, suggesting a potential for higher intelligence. While it's speculative, a highly intelligent, tool-using, or even technologically advanced dinosaurian species might have eventually emerged, but it is not a given as most dinosaurs repeated the pattern of large bodies and small brains for millions of years.
The Fate of Mammals and Humans
Mammals in the Shadows: Mammals coexisted with dinosaurs for over 160 million years but remained small, mostly badger-sized or rodent-like, nocturnal, and burrowing creatures. The ongoing dominance of non-avian dinosaurs would have prevented mammals from diversifying and growing larger.
No Human Evolution: The extinction of the large non-avian dinosaurs created the ecological vacuum that allowed mammals to flourish and occupy the vacant large-animal niches. The entire evolutionary chain that led to primates, apes, and eventually Homo sapiens would never have been set in motion. Human evolution was a highly unlikely chain of events made possible only by the "reset" the asteroid impact provided.
If the Asteroid Hit the Ocean Harmlessly
If the asteroid had crashed into a deep ocean without striking the sulfur-rich shallow seas of the Yucatán Peninsula, the global consequences (like a prolonged "impact winter" and ocean acidification) would have been less severe. The extinction event would have been less catastrophic, and it's possible that a handful of non-avian dinosaur species might have survived longer, perhaps into modern times in isolated pockets. However, without the severe, sudden ecological collapse, mammals would still have struggled to displace the still-dominant dinosaurs, and the world would likely still be an "Age of Reptiles".
Thanks for that, an interesting summary.Evolution doesn't follow such a step-by-step trajectory. Random changes in mammals (or other types of animals) could have occurred at any time giving them an advantage over dinosaurs without the meteorite impact. Environmental change could have done similar things, some dinosaurs were so large they were always at risk of losing huge numbers.
bigpriest said:
Evolution doesn't follow such a step-by-step trajectory. Random changes in mammals (or other types of animals) could have occurred at any time giving them an advantage over dinosaurs without the meteorite impact. Environmental change could have done similar things, some dinosaurs were so large they were always at risk of losing huge numbers.
Evolution would not have taken the direction that ended with us evolving. It would have taken a completely different direction which would give a completely different outcome.Super Sonic said:
Milkyway said:
One theory that I read, was that we would have got stuck in a Neanderthal state.
The Chicxulub meteor hit 66 million years ago. Neanderthals lived less than half a million years ago.Milkyway said:
What if the meteorite had missed us completely... or just crashed harmlessly into an ocean.
What path would evolution have taken.
Some interesting theories abound,.we would probably have evolved... in one form or another.
With the dinosaurs gone, the little mammals that were hiding in burrows would have been free to roam the land. Only then could the path that led to humans have started. What path would evolution have taken.
Some interesting theories abound,.we would probably have evolved... in one form or another.
Edited by Milkyway on Tuesday 18th November 22:04
It’s unlikely primates would have evolved in a world of dinosaurs. Any mammal swinging through the trees would have been picked off by the established predators.
The only theories that suggest humans would still have evolved are those with a “manifest human destiny” bias.
The thing is, the dinosaurs DIDN'T become extinct. Of course, about 60% of the dinosaurs did die out but the therapod line continues to this day - except we don't refer to these dinosaur survivors as dinosaurs, we call them "birds".
In fact, with the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K T) extinction event, 60% of ALL animal life became extinct - and that would include 60% of the mammals alive at the time of the impact too.
The real losers in the K-T extinction event were not the dinosaurs, because some of them survived. The real losers were the great seagoing creatures which were distantly related to the dinosaurs - such as the ichtysaurs and the mosasaurs. Smaller sea creatures, such as the ammonites (which were molluscs) became completely extinct although relatives such as the nautilus survived. And of course, the flying pterosaurs also died out.
Why certain lines died out and why certain lines survived is still very unclear.
However, without the K-T event, we most definitely would not be here at all.
Just to add, the term K-T event has been replaced by a new description. It's referred to now as the Cretaceous Paleogene (K Pg) extinction event.
In fact, with the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K T) extinction event, 60% of ALL animal life became extinct - and that would include 60% of the mammals alive at the time of the impact too.
The real losers in the K-T extinction event were not the dinosaurs, because some of them survived. The real losers were the great seagoing creatures which were distantly related to the dinosaurs - such as the ichtysaurs and the mosasaurs. Smaller sea creatures, such as the ammonites (which were molluscs) became completely extinct although relatives such as the nautilus survived. And of course, the flying pterosaurs also died out.
Why certain lines died out and why certain lines survived is still very unclear.
However, without the K-T event, we most definitely would not be here at all.
Just to add, the term K-T event has been replaced by a new description. It's referred to now as the Cretaceous Paleogene (K Pg) extinction event.
Even if the asteroid (had missed Mexico) itself hits the water, it's still hitting land. It'll flash boil millions of galleons of sea water and slam into the ocean bedrock. Now if it's a Pacific Ocean impact, which we think it will be, it'll create a tidal wave 3 miles high, travel at a thousand miles an hour, covering California, and washing up in Denver. Japan's gone, Australia's wiped out. Half the world's population will be incinerated by the heat blast, and the rest will freeze to death from nuclear winter.
Read an article once that stated the Troodon (mentioned above) could possibly have made it to the moon millions of years ago had the asteroid not struck and their development allowed to continue.
They could have potentially taken all the benefits that the human race enjoyed down the line but much earlier on.
So many coin flips and “what ifs” but these also apply to ourselves as a species, such a pity we squander an epic chance of fate just by existing on petty squabbles….
They could have potentially taken all the benefits that the human race enjoyed down the line but much earlier on.
So many coin flips and “what ifs” but these also apply to ourselves as a species, such a pity we squander an epic chance of fate just by existing on petty squabbles….
Dan_1981 said:
Even if the asteroid (had missed Mexico) itself hits the water, it's still hitting land. It'll flash boil millions of galleons of sea water and slam into the ocean bedrock. Now if it's a Pacific Ocean impact, which we think it will be, it'll create a tidal wave 3 miles high, travel at a thousand miles an hour, covering California, and washing up in Denver. Japan's gone, Australia's wiped out. Half the world's population will be incinerated by the heat blast, and the rest will freeze to death from nuclear winter.
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