Dinosaurs survived a wave of violent volcanic eruptions that are often blamed for their extinction, a study has found.
This adds more weight to the belief that they were killed by an asteroid colliding with Earth 66 million years ago.
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The study focused on volcanic eruptions that occurred in the Indian Peninsula 30,000 years before the asteroid struck.
They dumped dust and gases into the atmosphere, cooling the planet by 5 degrees Celsius.
But its effects, which were minor compared to the asteroid strike, faded within 10,000 years, and had little or no effect on the extinction of the dinosaurs, researchers say.
The University of Manchester and Utrecht University team analyzed fossil peat to piece together what the climate would be like.
“We believe it was the asteroid that ultimately dealt the fatal blow,” said Dr. Rhodri Guerret.
Dr Lauren O'Connor, from Utrecht University, says the period of global warming was likely fueled by volcanic carbon dioxide emissions.
She said: “These volcanic eruptions and the associated release of carbon dioxide and sulfur could have had catastrophic consequences for life on Earth.
“But these events occurred thousands of years before the meteorite impact and may have played only a small role in the extinction of the dinosaurs.”
