No, dinosaurs do not exist in 2024.
Despite the exciting idea of gigantic dinosaurs still roaming remote areas, there is no scientific evidence to support this. There are no *Tyrannosaurus rex* relatives in Siberia's forests, nor are there *Apatosaurus* wandering the Congo's rainforest, according to the information available as of August 15, 2024. The vast majority of dinosaurs went extinct about 66 million years ago. While birds are the modern descendants of some dinosaurs, these are not the large, reptilian dinosaurs we commonly imagine.
Extinction of Non-Avian Dinosaurs
The extinction of non-avian dinosaurs is a well-established fact, primarily attributed to a massive asteroid impact. Here’s what happened:
- Asteroid Impact: A large asteroid struck Earth, leading to massive environmental changes.
- Climate Change: The impact caused widespread wildfires, dust clouds, and a significant drop in global temperatures.
- Food Chain Collapse: This climate shift devastated plant life, and consequently, the herbivores and then the carnivores.
Modern Descendants
While the giant non-avian dinosaurs are gone, some dinosaurs did survive and evolved into birds. Key points to remember:
- Birds are Dinosaurs: Biologically, birds are classified as theropod dinosaurs.
- Evolution: Over millions of years, small theropod dinosaurs evolved into the diverse range of birds we see today.
So while you might see birds flying around, these are not the same as the dinosaurs that existed millions of years ago. The large, non-avian dinosaurs are indeed extinct.
