the consequences

a transformed planet

the great impact at the end of the cretaceous not only destroyed the area where the asteroid fell.

its effects reached the entire planet.

what followed was a global crisis in which immediate destruction, atmospheric alterations and ecological collapse were combined.

among the first consequences were some of the most violent phenomena imaginable:

the regions near the impact must have been devastated almost completely.

but even at great distances, the violence of the event left deep marks.

one of the most important effects was the enormous amount of materials launched into the atmosphere.

dust, ashes and other compounds remained suspended and blocked part of the sunlight.

this had a decisive effect:

life on earth depends on solar energy.

when that energy stops arriving normally, the entire ecological balance begins to break.

without enough light, many plants stopped growing or died.

and when the base of trophic chains sinks, the rest falls behind.

herbivores depend on plants.
predators depend on herbivores.
ecosystems depend on multiple balance relationships.

that is why the crisis affected many levels at the same time.

it was not just a problem for a specific group.

it was a generalized ecological collapse.

the impact occurred at a specific point on the planet, but its consequences were global.

that explains why the extinction affected marine and terrestrial organisms, very different ecosystems and regions very far from each other.

the atmosphere and oceans connect the entire world.

when an event of this magnitude alters that balance, its effects extend far beyond the initial place.

although we usually imagine extinction as an instant, reality was more complex.

the impact was instantaneous, but the biological collapse developed through a series of chained consequences.

the loss of light, the decrease in biological productivity, hunger, the rupture of food chains and environmental instability made the crisis prolong.

the extinction was, therefore, a process triggered by a sudden event.

these consequences ended the balance that had sustained mesozoic ecosystems for millions of years.

many groups could not withstand the speed or magnitude of the change.

non-avian dinosaurs were the most famous among them, but not the only ones.

the crisis at the end of the cretaceous was a complete reconfiguration of the planet.