The cockroaches survived the impact of an asteroid that created the Chicxulub crater off the coast of modern Mexico and wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Related study by fungal biotechnology research reporter Brian Lovett publishes Speech.
Chicxulub is the only known crater on Earth that preserves a summit ring. It is a stone ridge surrounding its central region. In 2016, the crater was discovered by the 364 International Expedition, led by Joanna Morgan of Imperial College London and Sean Gulick of the University of Texas at Austin. As part of the study, experts at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico perforated Wells were drilled and samples were taken at a depth of 500 to 1300 meters. After analyzing the samples, the scientists learned how the apex ring formed and later showed that phytoplankton lived in the crater less than 30,000 years after the asteroid fell.
According to the publication, the Earth’s temperature increased drastically when the meteorite fell. As a result, cockroaches had nowhere to run, but thanks to their flat bodies, they were able to hide in tiny cracks in the soil when temperatures reached critical levels. Then, the heat turned cold when the Chicxulub asteroid lifted the dust that darkened the sky. The sun almost did not penetrate through the resulting veil of dust, and the plants died, leaving the animals without food.
Most modern cockroaches are smaller than their ancestors, but they are still very stubborn. Overall, there are about 4,600 species of cockroaches on Earth. In addition, these insects lay their eggs in strong capsules – ootheca, which can protect the offspring of insects from damage, cold, drought, floods and pesticides.
Formerly paleontologists said about how placental mammals coexisted with the dinosaurs shortly before their extinction.