Comments on: The day the dinosaurs died https://habitablezone.com/2022/04/12/the-day-the-dinosaurs-died/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:18:10 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2022/04/12/the-day-the-dinosaurs-died/#comment-49342 podrock Thu, 14 Apr 2022 00:58:33 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=93403#comment-49342 Is the person who first published data on the site. *Only* having a masters degree, and as a doctoral student, he was shown the site by others that knew about it. But apparently, he is an excellent field researcher. Not an easy way to spend a summer, trust me. He and another graduate student did the first years of work, making sure they had a good story supported by evidence before they published. They brought a few experts there before they published, including Alverez, who discovered the original Iridium K-T anomaly. I think his not having a PhD rankled some - how dare this student go off on his own? But that is what getting a PhD is supposed to be about, in my opinion. When you spend that much time in the field you see things that the professors cannot grasp. As I recall, when this was first discussed here on the HZ, I wasn't so much skeptical as I just wanted more boots on the ground to verify the discovery. We are getting that now. This is as big a find as the Burgess Shale, if not more so. According to Wikipedia there are documentaries coming soon on The BBC and PBS. I'll be riveted to both. Yeah, this young man should not only get his doctorate gown now, he'll likely get many honorary ones as well. Well done. Just goes to show there are still discoveries to be made out there in the field. Lace up your boots, young geologists, and shoulder your packs. Mysteries await you out there. Is the person who first published data on the site. *Only* having a masters degree, and as a doctoral student, he was shown the site by others that knew about it. But apparently, he is an excellent field researcher. Not an easy way to spend a summer, trust me. He and another graduate student did the first years of work, making sure they had a good story supported by evidence before they published. They brought a few experts there before they published, including Alverez, who discovered the original Iridium K-T anomaly. I think his not having a PhD rankled some – how dare this student go off on his own? But that is what getting a PhD is supposed to be about, in my opinion. When you spend that much time in the field you see things that the professors cannot grasp.

As I recall, when this was first discussed here on the HZ, I wasn’t so much skeptical as I just wanted more boots on the ground to verify the discovery. We are getting that now. This is as big a find as the Burgess Shale, if not more so.

According to Wikipedia there are documentaries coming soon on The BBC and PBS. I’ll be riveted to both.

Yeah, this young man should not only get his doctorate gown now, he’ll likely get many honorary ones as well. Well done.

Just goes to show there are still discoveries to be made out there in the field. Lace up your boots, young geologists, and shoulder your packs. Mysteries await you out there.

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2022/04/12/the-day-the-dinosaurs-died/#comment-49339 RL Wed, 13 Apr 2022 21:45:18 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=93403#comment-49339 Its like a scenario you might come up with if you went to a geologist and said "Pretend you found the PERFECT site capturing evidence of the impact that killed the dinosaurs, write up what it would look like and don't worry about how implausibly unlikely it all is" But that appears to be exactly what was found... if I remember correctly the initial claims were treated skeptically, in part because it IS so improbable, but also because the guy making the claim had a controversial history in the geology community? Or am I misremembering? Whatever his reputation was, I am pretty sure discoveries like this set you up in the field for life.... Its like a scenario you might come up with if you went to a geologist and said “Pretend you found the PERFECT site capturing evidence of the impact that killed the dinosaurs, write up what it would look like and don’t worry about how implausibly unlikely it all is”

But that appears to be exactly what was found… if I remember correctly the initial claims were treated skeptically, in part because it IS so improbable, but also because the guy making the claim had a controversial history in the geology community? Or am I misremembering?

Whatever his reputation was, I am pretty sure discoveries like this set you up in the field for life….

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2022/04/12/the-day-the-dinosaurs-died/#comment-49337 podrock Wed, 13 Apr 2022 19:07:18 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=93403#comment-49337 in the tektites clogging the fish gills! in the tektites clogging the fish gills!

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2022/04/12/the-day-the-dinosaurs-died/#comment-49336 RL Wed, 13 Apr 2022 17:38:13 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=93403#comment-49336 I assume the presence of Iridium was confirmed? I assume the presence of Iridium was confirmed?

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2022/04/12/the-day-the-dinosaurs-died/#comment-49335 podrock Wed, 13 Apr 2022 17:26:43 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=93403#comment-49335 As I recall, the site is on a private ranch, not public land. I assume they are following that horizon all over that ranch. What is unique, and again based on my memory, the bedding at the site has no overburden, so tracing it to outcrops that do will help describe the story after the event. As I recall, the site is on a private ranch, not public land. I assume they are following that horizon all over that ranch. What is unique, and again based on my memory, the bedding at the site has no overburden, so tracing it to outcrops that do will help describe the story after the event.

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2022/04/12/the-day-the-dinosaurs-died/#comment-49333 RL Wed, 13 Apr 2022 14:24:02 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=93403#comment-49333 Until then, I hope it is closely guarded. It is the holy grail of geologic sites... one of the momentous days in Earth's history, preserved in such detail we even know roughly the time of year it happened... it seems astronomically improbable that such a site would be found. To see and touch the rock laid down in the event that made humanity possible would be a surreal experience. Until then, I hope it is closely guarded.
It is the holy grail of geologic sites… one of the momentous days in Earth’s history, preserved in such detail we even know roughly the time of year it happened… it seems astronomically improbable that such a site would be found.

To see and touch the rock laid down in the event that made humanity possible would be a surreal experience.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2022/04/12/the-day-the-dinosaurs-died/#comment-49331 podrock Wed, 13 Apr 2022 05:04:41 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=93403#comment-49331 I've been following it. When first announced, only a handful of paleontologists had worked there. Now that more are being brought in, in addition to other fields of geology, this site is going to yield untold discoveries of that fateful spring day. Yes, there is evidence it was a <a href="https://www.insidescience.org/news/north-dakota-fossil-site-evidence-suggests-dinosaurs-may-have-died-spring" rel="nofollow">spring day</a>. Sedimentologists may find out how tall the seiche waves were. Geochemists might be able to understand the composition of the impactor itself from tektites. Modern survey methods might be able to understand the hour by hour, day by day drama. It is really exciting, one of the greatest geologic discoveries in history. I'd pay good money to spend one day there. The Wikipedia page has a nice overview of the findings: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanis_(fossil_site)" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanis_(fossil_site)</a> The exploration is really just getting started. Fitting that it is in the Hell Creek Formation. I’ve been following it. When first announced, only a handful of paleontologists had worked there. Now that more are being brought in, in addition to other fields of geology, this site is going to yield untold discoveries of that fateful spring day. Yes, there is evidence it was a spring day. Sedimentologists may find out how tall the seiche waves were. Geochemists might be able to understand the composition of the impactor itself from tektites. Modern survey methods might be able to understand the hour by hour, day by day drama. It is really exciting, one of the greatest geologic discoveries in history. I’d pay good money to spend one day there.

The Wikipedia page has a nice overview of the findings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanis_(fossil_site)

The exploration is really just getting started. Fitting that it is in the Hell Creek Formation.

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