General · 14 February 2026
Life rebounded far sooner than thought after dinosaurs were wiped out
New research shows that after the Chicxulub asteroid impact 66 million years ago, which triggered a mass extinction, biological recovery began much faster than scientists once believed. Analysing sediment records and microfossils, researchers now estimate that the first new marine species appeared within only a few thousand years of the catastrophe, challenging earlier timelines of tens of thousands of years. These findings shed fresh light on evolution’s speed following one of Earth’s greatest upheavals.
Reported by Science News · How we write briefs