Dino demise - the bugs did it!

[MooseOnTheLoose]

A new book mentioned in the Guardian newspaper (Monday 7th Jan, printed edition) claims that the proliferation of insect life in the Cambrian period was a major contributor to the extinction of dinosaurs. Pathogens discovered within insects preserved in amber were also present in fossilised dinosaur faeces (this was news to me - I didn't know anyone had any dinosaur poop) suggesting that disease carved into the population.

Non-carnivorous dinosaurs didn't escape either. According to the authors, these perished because pollinating insects altered the available vegetation to a type the dinos couldn't eat. Whilst the authors aren't claiming that bugs were the 'smoking gun' that ultimately wiped out the dinosaurs, they feel that extinction occurred over a much longer period than a meteorite strike could account for.

Is this a new idea? Feasible?

[wattsr1]

A new book mentioned in the Guardian newspaper (Monday 7th Jan, printed edition) claims that the proliferation of insect life in the Cambrian period was a major contributor to the extinction of dinosaurs. Pathogens discovered within insects preserved in amber were also present in fossilised dinosaur faeces (this was news to me - I didn't know anyone had any dinosaur poop) suggesting that disease carved into the population.

Non-carnivorous dinosaurs didn't escape either. According to the authors, these perished because pollinating insects altered the available vegetation to a type the dinos couldn't eat. Whilst the authors aren't claiming that bugs were the 'smoking gun' that ultimately wiped out the dinosaurs, they feel that extinction occurred over a much longer period than a meteorite strike could account for.

Is this a new idea? Feasible?

These kinds of ideas are always interesting. But they can be very hard to demonstrate conclusively.

We also know that a giagantic meteor hit the earth at around the time of the dinosaur extinction:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_Crater

and that there were some massive outpourings of lava in India, around that time - forming the Deccan Traps:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan_Traps

Both of these events must have played a major part in the downfall of the dinosaurs, (allowing the mammals and birds to radiate into the niches vacated by them.) Whether these geological events so changed the enviroment that these other beasties (insects) were able to become more of a problem to dinosaurs is a question that may have some possibility of resolution.

The book could make an interesting read.

As for crap - I believe it is abundant in the fossil record. I understand that tracks made by animals are the most abundant fossils of all.



Regards, Roland

[Roy]

Is this a new idea? Feasible?

One major problem is that ny theory on dinosaur extinction also has to account for the myriad other species that went extinct at the same time. I can't see how biting insects could cause the extinction of, say, ammonites and plesiosaurs.

Roy

[rogue06]

Originally posted by MooseOnTheLoose
A new book mentioned in the Guardian newspaper (Monday 7th Jan, printed edition) claims that the proliferation of insect life in the Cambrian period was a major contributor to the extinction of dinosaurs. Pathogens discovered within insects preserved in amber were also present in fossilised dinosaur faeces (this was news to me - I didn't know anyone had any dinosaur poop) suggesting that disease carved into the population.

Non-carnivorous dinosaurs didn't escape either. According to the authors, these perished because pollinating insects altered the available vegetation to a type the dinos couldn't eat. Whilst the authors aren't claiming that bugs were the 'smoking gun' that ultimately wiped out the dinosaurs, they feel that extinction occurred over a much longer period than a meteorite strike could account for.

Is this a new idea? Feasible?

Feasible... yes. Likely... no.

Here is some more information if you're interested:
Insect Attack May Have Finished Off Dinosaurs

As an aside, fossilized dinosaur poop are referred to as coprolites. There are actually coprolite collectors out there. I myself have been involved in slicing verified Tyrannosaurus rex in an attempt to determine their diet and hopefully establish whether or not they were primarily predators or scavengers. A lack of material to test has hampered research.

[Roy]

I myself have been involved in slicing verified Tyrannosaurus rex in an attempt to determine their diet and hopefully establish whether or not they were primarily predators or scavengers. A lack of material to test has hampered research.

No sh.., Sherlock.

Roy

[rogue06]

Originally posted by Roy
No sh.., Sherlock.

Oh how true!!

[MooseOnTheLoose]

Amazing...

Entire species become extinct, continents drift apart, mountains rise and fall, rivers and seas dry up and turn to deserts, ice ages envelop the earth and recede again, glaciers carve out valleys and what survives through all of this?

Dino poop!

[rogue06]

Originally posted by MooseOnTheLoose
Amazing...

Entire species become extinct, continents drift apart, mountains rise and fall, rivers and seas dry up and turn to deserts, ice ages envelop the earth and recede again, glaciers carve out valleys and what survives through all of this?

Dino poop!

Yup. It really is some tough sh...

[wattsr1]

Feasible... yes. Likely... no.

Here is some more information if you're interested:
Insect Attack May Have Finished Off Dinosaurs

As an aside, fossilized dinosaur poop are referred to as coprolites. There are actually coprolite collectors out there. I myself have been involved in slicing verified Tyrannosaurus rex in an attempt to determine their diet and hopefully establish whether or not they were primarily predators or scavengers. A lack of material to test has hampered research.

Well if the accusations of some creationists (eg Xevo and Jorge) are correct, why don't you just make it up? Give us a "wild story".

We won't dob on you.


Regards, Roland

[rogue06]

New evidence suggests that the strike at Chicxulub had a bigger "impact" than previously thought:
Seismic Images Show Dinosaur-killing Meteor Made Bigger Splash
[cite]
According to Sean Gulick, a research scientist at the Institute for Geophysics at The University of Texas at Austin's Jackson School of Geosciences and principal investigator for the project, the new images reveal the asteroid landed in deeper water than previously assumed and therefore released about 6.5 times more water vapor into the atmosphere.

The impact site also contained sulfur-rich sediments called evaporites, which would have reacted with water vapor to produce sulfate aerosols. According to Gulick, an increase in the atmospheric concentration of the compounds could have made the impact deadlier in two ways: by altering climate (sulfate aerosols in the upper atmosphere can have a cooling effect) and by generating acid rain (water vapor can help to flush the lower atmosphere of sulfate aerosols, causing acid rain). Earlier studies had suggested both effects might result from the impact, but to a lesser degree.[/cite]

[MooseOnTheLoose]

Makes it more of a miracle that anything survived (Apart from dino poop of course).