How did the birds make it pass the death of the Dinosaurs?

Question

I wonder about this fact as if indeed the dinosaurs where wiped out by an asteroid, causing a global firestorm followed by a short term ice age climate how did birds survive. Perhaps the change was already on its way and the large dinosaurs where really already on their way out and the shift was to small animals.

Answer 1

I think you are on to something. I think the "global firestorm" was over-rated. Since birds were obviously able to migrate to places dinosaurs couldn't reach, they probably were able to survive when many dinosaurs weren't. Still, there is evidence that dinosaurs were having significant problems a few hundred thousand years before the impact and some evidence that some survived it. It is always hard to be sure that a fossil found above the KT boundary wasn't eroded into it. Dr. Robert Baaker made a pretty good case that dinosaurs may have reduced the number of species prior to KT which made them vulnerable to extinction through such things as disease which might be increased with an event such as the geologic connection to another continent. Perhaps the asteroid further added massive stress to an already endangered ecosystem.

Answer 2

I don't think the theory involves a "global firestorm", in the sense that the ENTIRE-globe would be affected - just widespread. Perhaps the more important effect is a global-cooling due to atmospheric dust. An "ice age" need not envelop the entire planet in ice, just reduce the average temperature (causing extensive ice and glaciers, but not world-wide).

So while there would be "global" effects, this does not mean that all Earth was seared, or all Earth was under ice. there would be a sudden restriction of available resources, and which species survived would in large part be a matter of luck.

Answer 3

FInd a good answer with proof and there will be several universities that will happily award you a doctorate degree. There is no definitive answer, but your speculations are probably on track. There are lots of other possible reasons. Do some reading

Answer 4

Dinosaurs evolved into birds.

Answer 5

they were just flying to high