Since scientists and archaeologists discovered dinosaur fossils in the 19th century, we have gained a long-standing understanding of these extinct ancient creatures. However, paleontologists still need to debunk many misconceptions about dinosaurs. This is because popular culture, including blockbuster Hollywood movies like Jurassic Park, contains many inaccurate descriptions of dinosaurs, leading to misunderstandings.
Did all dinosaurs become extinct?
Around 66 million years ago, the dinosaurs that roamed the Earth suffered a catastrophe when an asteroid estimated to be about 10 kilometers in diameter struck the Earth head-on, leaving a giant crater beneath what is now the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The impact also caused a mass extinction.
Scientists speculate that this extinction event wiped out "only" 75% of life on Earth, with some dinosaurs surviving.
Paul Barrett, a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum in London, told the BBC, "While the meteorite impact wiped out many dinosaurs, a small number of very small, feathered dinosaurs survived and can still be seen today."
"Birds are the only dinosaurs that have survived and evolved to this day."
"You could say that birds are living dinosaurs, and in terms of the variety of birds, there are more dinosaur species now than there were 66 million years ago."
