Read, Watch or Listen

Dinosaurs may not have been fading before the asteroid struck 66 million years ago, according to a study of New Mexico’s Kirtland Formation. Researchers dated rocks and fossils to roughly 400,000 years before impact using volcanic glass grains and magnetic minerals, revealing a diverse community including T. rex, a Triceratops-like herbivore, and the colossal Alamosaurus. Differences from same-age fossils in Montana suggest thriving, distinct ecosystems. The findings, published in Science, hint at resilience but, experts warn, reflect a single site and not the full global picture.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.