Fossil Records and Research Findings
A recent study analyzing over 8,000 North American dinosaur fossils suggests that the perceived decline in dinosaur diversity before the asteroid impact may be due to a biased and incomplete fossil record.
Researchers found that despite the apparent decrease in fossil numbers leading up to the impact, ecological models and studies indicate that dinosaur populations were likely stable and not in decline.
Contrasting Perspectives and Implications
While the new research suggests a stable dinosaur population, some scientists, like Manabu Sakamoto, argue that the long-term decline in dinosaur diversity still holds true, emphasizing the evolution rate slowing down over 175 million years.
The study also highlights the challenges paleontologists face due to geological and environmental changes that have limited fossil discoveries from the crucial period before the extinction event.