Time Scales of Critical Events Around the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary

Mass extinctions manifest in Earth's geologic record were turning points in biotic evolution. We present 40 Ar/ 39 Ar data that establish synchrony between the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary and associated mass extinctions with the Chicxulub bolide impact to within 32,000 years. Perturbation of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2013-02, Vol.339 (6120), p.684-687
Main Authors: Renne, Paul R., Deino, Alan L., Hilgen, Frederik J., Kuiper, Klaudia F., Mark, Darren F., Mitchell, William S., Morgan, Leah E., Mundil, Roland, Smit, Jan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Argon
Asteroids
Bentonite
Chronology as Topic
Coal
Earth
Earthquakes
Ecosystem
Evolution
Extinction
Extinction, Biological
Geologic Sediments
Geology
Hell
Mammals
Mexico
Minor Planets
Paleontology
Prehistoric era
Radioisotopes
Radiometric Dating
Species extinction
Tektites
Volcanic ash
Weighted averages
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Summary:Mass extinctions manifest in Earth's geologic record were turning points in biotic evolution. We present 40 Ar/ 39 Ar data that establish synchrony between the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary and associated mass extinctions with the Chicxulub bolide impact to within 32,000 years. Perturbation of the atmospheric carbon cycle at the boundary likely lasted less than 5000 years, exhibiting a recovery time scale two to three orders of magnitude shorter than that of the major ocean basins. Low-diversity mammalian fauna in the western Williston Basin persisted for as little as 20,000 years after the impact. The Chicxulub impact likely triggered a state shift of ecosystems already under near-critical stress.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1230492