Researchers – from Japan’s Meteorological Research Institute and Tohuku Univeristy – now believe the asteroid struck the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, hitting massive oil deposits and sending a blanket of thick black smoke into the atmosphere, engulfing the planet.
The amount of sunlight fell by a huge 85 per cent, causing the Earth to cool by as much as 16 degrees Celsius on land for about three years. Also, rainfall would have fallen by roughly 80 per cent causing extreme and devastating droughts.
The interesting thing is small mammals and reptiles could have lived underground where it is warmer – dinosaurs did not. These different habitats would have been key factors in determining their extinction or survival.