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Ancient fossils show how the last mass extinction forever scrambled the ocean’s biodiversity

  • Written by Stewart Edie, Research Geologist and Curator of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution
imageEven bivalves looked different during the time of the dinosaurs, as these fossils of an ultra-fortified oyster, left, and armored cockle show.Smithsonian Institution

About 66 million years ago – perhaps on a downright unlucky day in May – an asteroid smashed into our planet.

The fallout was immediate and severe. Evidence shows that about...

Read more: Ancient fossils show how the last mass extinction forever scrambled the ocean’s biodiversity

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