Why Did Dinosaurs Extinct?

Long, long ago, before humans existed, dinosaurs lived on Earth. They walked on land, swam in rivers and seas, and some even flew in the sky. Dinosaurs lived during a time called the prehistoric age, which was millions of years ago. Dinosaurs existed because Earth had the right conditions for them. The climate was warm, plants grew everywhere, and there was lots of food. Over time, dinosaurs changed and adapted. Some grew very big to protect themselves. Others stayed small and fast so they could run away from danger. But dinosaurs did not live forever.

Why Did They Become Extinct?

Scientists believe that about 66 million years ago, a huge asteroid hit the Earth. An asteroid is a big rock from space that travels around the sun. When the asteroid hit the Earth, it caused big fires, strong shaking of the ground, and thick dark clouds in the sky. The clouds blocked sunlight, so plants could not grow well. When plants died, plant-eating animals did not have enough food. When those animals died, meat-eating animals also could not find food. One problem led to another, and many dinosaurs disappeared forever.

This is called extinction, which means an animal no longer exists anywhere on Earth. Some small animals survived, and over millions of years, life on Earth slowly changed again. Dinosaurs are gone today, but we learn about them through fossils found in the ground.