What If Dinosaurs Never Went Extinctd, Would Humans Even Exist? The Truth Is Mind-Blowing! – The Daily Galaxy –Great Discoveries Channel
What if the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs never struck Earth? Would these ancient giants still rule the planet, leaving no room for humans?Sixty-six million years ago, a catastrophic asteroid impact wiped out 75% of Earth’s species, bringing an abrupt end to the reign of the nonavian dinosaurs. The 9-mile-wide (15 km) space rock struck what is now Mexico, unleashing firestorms, acid rain, and a global winter that reshaped the planet’s ecosystem. But what if this asteroid had never arrived? Could dinosaurs have survived, adapted, and even evolved into intelligent beings? And what would have happened to mammals—our ancient ancestors—in a world still dominated by dinosaurs?Dinosaurs had already thrived for 165 million years, surviving shifting sea levels, volcanic eruptions, and climate fluctuations. Some paleontologists believe that if the asteroid hadn’t struck, these creatures could have continued evolving, shaping Earth’s biosphere in ways we can only imagine.Steve Brusatte, a paleontology professor at the University of Edinburgh, argues that dinosaurs were still at their peak when disaster struck. Fossil evidence shows they were diverse, widespread, and highly successful, with species thriving in a range of habitats.But not all experts agree, some of them suggest that dinosaur extinction rates were already rising before the impact.A major challenge for dinosaurs would have been climate change. While most people picture dinosaurs in lush, warm landscapes, some species already lived in cold, snowy regions. Some were even feathered, which could have provided insulation like modern-day birds and mammals.This adaptability raises the question: could dinosaurs have survived an ice age? Research suggests that some might have. Species with warm-blooded traits, like Tyrannosaurus rex, could have been more resilient to extreme cold, just as mammoths evolved thick fur during the last ice age.If dinosaurs had persisted, they may have evolved new adaptations to cope with harsher conditions. Just as some mammals developed thick fur and fat reserves to survive the cold, dinosaurs might have followed a similar evolutionary path.A long-standing question in paleontology is whether dinosaurs could have evolved intelligence similar to that of humans. One intriguing theory comes from paleontologist Dale Russell, who speculated that if certain dinosaurs had continued evolving, they might have developed higher cognitive abilities.Russell’s idea was based on the Troodon, a small, bird-like dinosaur with a relatively large brain, stereoscopic vision, and grasping fingers. In a thought experiment, he imagined a “dinosauroid”—a bipedal, humanoid-like reptile that could have developed advanced intelligence given enough time.However, many paleontologists have dismissed this idea. A 2023 study found that dinosaurs lacked the necessary brain structure to evolve primate-level intelligence. “Neither Troodon nor any other dinosaur could have begun a primate-like lineage that evolved to a human level of intelligence,” the research concluded.Paleontologist Paul Sereno from the University of Chicago strongly supports this idea. “We evolved in a mammalian world impossible to have taken place with large nonavian dinosaurs running around,” he explained. “We are not inevitable.”In other words, if dinosaurs had survived, primates might never have risen to dominance, and the conditions that allowed human evolution might never have developed. A 2021 study reinforced this idea, concluding that the extinction of land-dwelling dinosaurs allowed primates to thrive and evolve into the species we see today.If the asteroid had missed, the world would be unrecognizably different today. Dinosaurs might have adapted to changing climates, evolved into new forms, and continued to rule Earth for millions of years. Mammals could have remained small and insignificant, never producing large-brained species like apes, dolphins, or humans.Brusatte sums it up perfectly: “History would have been totally different. Our exact ancestors surely would have never had their chance to evolve.”So, in an alternate world where dinosaurs still roamed, would there be towering, reptilian cities? Highly evolved, intelligent dinosaurs? We’ll never know for sure. But one thing is certain: the asteroid’s impact was the ultimate game-changer for life on this planet.None of these people ever saw The Good Dinosaur? 😁Comment Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
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