The massive asteroid that is believed to have ended the era of dinosaurs when it crashed into Earth some 66 million years ago was not the only culprit, researchers found recently.

After performing detailed scans of an underwater crater off the coast of Guinea in West Africa, researchers discovered that it was created when another large asteroid smashed into Earth around the same time at the end of the Cretaceous period.

The violent collision between 65 million and 67 million years ago produced a crater more than five miles across, the scans reveal. Scientists estimate that the asteroid measured a quarter of a mile wide struck Earth at nearly 45,000 miles per hour.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earth-has-hosted-mini-moons-before-and-one-of-them-will-revisit-in-27-years-764394">Earth has hosted mini-moons in the past, and one of them will revisit in 27 years</a>

Though the other space rock was much smaller than the asteroid that caused the mass extinction of dinosaurs, it was large enough to leave scars on the face of the planet.&nbsp;

“The new images paint a picture of the catastrophic event,” said Dr Uisdean Nicholson, a marine geologist at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, who first discovered the Nadir crater in 2022. At the time, the details of the impact were unclear.

<h2>Impact of another massive collision</h2>

Scientists devised 3D seismic imaging to map the crater rim on the Earth to further understand about the impact of the second collision. The team also analysed the scars that lie 30 metres beneath the ocean floor.&nbsp;

“There are around 20 confirmed marine craters worldwide, and none of them has been captured in anything close to this level of detail,” said Nicholson. “It’s exquisite.”

Researchers found that the collision set off intense tremors that liquefied beneath the ocean floor causing faults to form below the seabed. This impact triggered landslides with visible traces thousands of square miles beyond the crater rim and also created a tsunami more than 800 metres high that would have travelled across the Atlantic.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earth-has-a-hidden-massive-sixth-ocean-in-a-crystal-structure-under-its-crust-heres-why-764140">Earth has a hidden massive sixth ocean in a crystal structure under its crust. Here's why</a>

The details of the research are published in Nature Communications Earth &amp; Environment.

The team of researchers though cannot pinpoint the exact location where the asteroid struck the Earth, the discovery of the crater and its approximate age has itself prompted speculation that it may have belonged to a cluster of dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period.

“The closest humans have come to seeing something like this is the 1908 Tunguska event, when a 50-metre asteroid entered Earth’s atmosphere and exploded in the skies above Siberia,” Nicholson said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The massive asteroid that is believed to have ended the era of dinosaurs when it crashed into Earth some 66 million years ago was not the only culprit, researchers found recently.

The massive asteroid that is believed to have ended the era of dinosaurs when it crashed into Earth some 66 million years ago was not the only culprit, researchers found recently. After performing detailed scans of an underwater crater off the coast of Guinea in West Africa, researchers discovered that it was created when another large asteroid smashed into Earth around the same time at the end of the Cretaceous period. The violent collision between 65 million and 67 million years ago produced a crater more than five miles across, the scans reveal. Scientists estimate that the asteroid measured a quarter of a mile wide struck Earth at nearly 45,000 miles per hour. Also Read | Earth has hosted mini-moons in the past, and one of them will revisit in 27 years Though the other space rock was much smaller than the asteroid that caused the mass extinction of dinosaurs, it was large enough to leave scars on the face of the planet. “The new images paint a picture of the catastrophic event,” said Dr Uisdean Nicholson, a marine geologist at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, who first discovered the Nadir crater in 2022. At the time, the details of the impact were unclear. Impact of another massive collision Scientists devised 3D seismic imaging to map the crater rim on the Earth to further understand about the impact of the second collision. The team also analysed the scars that lie 30 metres beneath the ocean floor. “There are around 20 confirmed marine craters worldwide, and none of them has been captured in anything close to this level of detail,” said Nicholson. “It’s exquisite.” Researchers found that the collision set off intense tremors that liquefied beneath the ocean floor causing faults to form below the seabed. This impact triggered landslides with visible traces thousands of square miles beyond the crater rim and also created a tsunami more than 800 metres high that would have travelled across the Atlantic. Also Read | Earth has a hidden massive sixth ocean in a crystal structure under its crust. Here's why The details of the research are published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment. The team of researchers though cannot pinpoint the exact location where the asteroid struck the Earth, the discovery of the crater and its approximate age has itself prompted speculation that it may have belonged to a cluster of dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period. “The closest humans have come to seeing something like this is the 1908 Tunguska event, when a 50-metre asteroid entered Earth’s atmosphere and exploded in the skies above Siberia,” Nicholson said. (With inputs from agencies)

Massive asteroid that eradicated dinosaurs when it crashed into Earth was not alone: Researchers

Once upon a time, 72 million years ago, the Pacific seas were terrorised by a giant monster, called the "blue dragon".

As per research published in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology, researchers have named the monster Wakayama Soryu, which means Blue Dragon.

<h2>Mind-blowing discovery</h2>

The apex predator was a mosasaur, an extinct, large marine reptile from the Late Cretaceous period. It has been named after Japan's Wakayama Prefecture&nbsp;where its fossil was found.

University of Cincinnati Associate Professor Takuya Konishi, along with a team of international co-authors, described the amazing discovery in the Palaeontology journal.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-lets-rewind-2023-to-medical-breakthroughs-that-gave-world-hope-668897">Explained | Let's 'Rewind 2023' to medical breakthroughs that gave the world hope</a>

Explaining the name, Konishi&nbsp;in a statement on the University of Cincinnati website&nbsp;said: "In China, dragons make thunder and live in the sky. They became aquatic in Japanese mythology."

The nearly complete fossil of the mosasaur was discovered by co-author Akihiro Misaki back in 2006.&nbsp;

At the time, Misaki was looking for fossils of invertebrates called ammonites&nbsp;when he stumbled upon an intriguing dark fossil in the sandstone.

The Wakayama Soryu fossil specimen is the most complete skeleton of a mosasaur ever found in Japan or the northwestern Pacific, said Konishi.&nbsp;

"In this case, it was nearly the entire specimen, which was astounding," said Konishi.

<h2>Wakayama Soryu: What it looked like</h2>

The apex predator, which haunted prehistoric waters, had unique features which made simple classification difficult.&nbsp;

As per researchers, it had a crocodile-like head and enormous paddle-shaped flippers. Its rear flippers were bigger than the front ones. Researchers speculate that "the large front fins might have helped with rapid manoeuvring, while its large rear fins might have provided pitch to dive or surface."&nbsp;

They also presume that, like other mosasaurs, the blue dragon's tail would have generated powerful and fast acceleration as it hunted fish and was used for propulsion.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/ancient-fossil-shows-teenager-tyrannosaur-feasted-on-two-baby-dinos-before-dying-study-668463">As a teenager, the tyrannosaur only ate baby dinosaurs, and a fossil is proof</a>

"It’s a question just how all five of these hydrodynamic surfaces were used. Which were for steering? Which for propulsion?" said Konishi.

"It opens a whole can of worms that challenges our understanding of how mosasaurs swim," he remarked.

Konishi, who has been studying mosasaurs for 15 years, said that the apex predator had a nearly binocular vision which made it a lethal hunter. The monstrous creature also had a dorsal fin similar to the great white shark and was as big as the modern predator — more than five feet long.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Once upon a time, 72 million years ago, the Pacific seas were terrorised by a giant monster, called the "blue dragon". As per research published in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology, researchers have named the monster Wakayama Soryu, which means Blue Dragon.

Once upon a time, 72 million years ago, the Pacific seas were terrorised by a giant monster, called the "blue dragon". As per research published in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology, researchers have named the monster Wakayama Soryu, which means Blue Dragon. Mind-blowing discovery The apex predator was a mosasaur, an extinct, large marine reptile from the Late Cretaceous period. It has been named after Japan's Wakayama Prefecture where its fossil was found. University of Cincinnati Associate Professor Takuya Konishi, along with a team of international co-authors, described the amazing discovery in the Palaeontology journal. Also read | Explained | Let's 'Rewind 2023' to medical breakthroughs that gave the world hope Explaining the name, Konishi in a statement on the University of Cincinnati website said: "In China, dragons make thunder and live in the sky. They became aquatic in Japanese mythology." The nearly complete fossil of the mosasaur was discovered by co-author Akihiro Misaki back in 2006. At the time, Misaki was looking for fossils of invertebrates called ammonites when he stumbled upon an intriguing dark fossil in the sandstone. The Wakayama Soryu fossil specimen is the most complete skeleton of a mosasaur ever found in Japan or the northwestern Pacific, said Konishi. "In this case, it was nearly the entire specimen, which was astounding," said Konishi. Wakayama Soryu: What it looked like The apex predator, which haunted prehistoric waters, had unique features which made simple classification difficult. As per researchers, it had a crocodile-like head and enormous paddle-shaped flippers. Its rear flippers were bigger than the front ones. Researchers speculate that "the large front fins might have helped with rapid manoeuvring, while its large rear fins might have provided pitch to dive or surface." They also presume that, like other mosasaurs, the blue dragon's tail would have generated powerful and fast acceleration as it hunted fish and was used for propulsion. Also read | As a teenager, the tyrannosaur only ate baby dinosaurs, and a fossil is proof "It’s a question just how all five of these hydrodynamic surfaces were used. Which were for steering? Which for propulsion?" said Konishi. "It opens a whole can of worms that challenges our understanding of how mosasaurs swim," he remarked. Konishi, who has been studying mosasaurs for 15 years, said that the apex predator had a nearly binocular vision which made it a lethal hunter. The monstrous creature also had a dorsal fin similar to the great white shark and was as big as the modern predator — more than five feet long. (With inputs from agencies)

A giant blue dragon mosasaur roamed the Pacific waters 72 million years ago

Who doesn't know about the asteroid that killed dinosaurs? We've all pretty much grown up in the information that the otherworldly object was behind the extinction of the mighty lizards. But what if that wasn't completely true?

A new major study claims that dinosaurs were "already dying" back when they got wiped out by the giant asteroid.&nbsp;

When dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago, their range of species was already drastically shrinking, as per the study done on dinosaur eggs in China.

Watch |&nbsp;WION Climate Tracker | US drought uncovers dinosaur tracks | Unexploded bombs found in Po river

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-climate-tracker-us-drought-uncovers-dinosaur-tracks-unexploded-bombs-found-in-po-river-509870/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to Mirror UK, the study, which was conducted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been published in the scientific journal PNAS.&nbsp;

Using dinosaur eggs found in the country's Shanyang Basin it creates a two million-year chronology toward the end of the Cretaceous period, the last period during which dinosaurs were alive.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/home-decor-or-scientific-discovery-experts-express-dismay-as-dinosaur-skeleton-goes-up-for-sale-515827">'Home décor or scientific discovery': Experts express dismay as dinosaur skeleton goes up for sale</a>

The central Chinese basin yielded some 1,000 egg fossils, but upon closer examination, researchers discovered that just three species were actually alive at the time.

It means that the diversity in dinosaur species was ebbing during the Cretaceous period.

“Our results demonstrate low dinosaur biodiversity during the last two million years of the Cretaceous, and those data indicate a decline in dinosaur biodiversity millions of years before the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary," wrote the authors.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-have-discovered-africas-oldest-dinosaur-named-mbiresaurus-raathi-in-zimbabwe-512201">Scientists have discovered Africa's oldest dinosaur named Mbiresaurus raathi in Zimbabwe</a>

This may imply that dinosaur populations were already in decline before they were wiped out by an asteroid.

It has been speculated that factors including climate change and volcanic eruptions may have led to the creatures' population collapse.

Events like the Deccan Traps eruption in present-day India would have also severely damaged the food supplies, which could have contributed to dinosaurs perishing.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Who doesn't know about the asteroid that killed dinosaurs? We've all pretty much grown up in the information that the otherworldly object was behind the extinction of the mighty lizards.

Who doesn't know about the asteroid that killed dinosaurs? We've all pretty much grown up in the information that the otherworldly object was behind the extinction of the mighty lizards. But what if that wasn't completely true? A new major study claims that dinosaurs were "already dying" back when they got wiped out by the giant asteroid. When dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago, their range of species was already drastically shrinking, as per the study done on dinosaur eggs in China. Watch | WION Climate Tracker | US drought uncovers dinosaur tracks | Unexploded bombs found in Po river According to Mirror UK, the study, which was conducted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been published in the scientific journal PNAS. Using dinosaur eggs found in the country's Shanyang Basin it creates a two million-year chronology toward the end of the Cretaceous period, the last period during which dinosaurs were alive. Also read | 'Home décor or scientific discovery': Experts express dismay as dinosaur skeleton goes up for sale The central Chinese basin yielded some 1,000 egg fossils, but upon closer examination, researchers discovered that just three species were actually alive at the time. It means that the diversity in dinosaur species was ebbing during the Cretaceous period. “Our results demonstrate low dinosaur biodiversity during the last two million years of the Cretaceous, and those data indicate a decline in dinosaur biodiversity millions of years before the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary," wrote the authors. Also read | Scientists have discovered Africa's oldest dinosaur named Mbiresaurus raathi in Zimbabwe This may imply that dinosaur populations were already in decline before they were wiped out by an asteroid. It has been speculated that factors including climate change and volcanic eruptions may have led to the creatures' population collapse. Events like the Deccan Traps eruption in present-day India would have also severely damaged the food supplies, which could have contributed to dinosaurs perishing. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Was an asteroid the sole reason dinosaurs went extinct? New study claims they were already 'dying out'