A Dusty Answer?

A group in Belgium have modelled the impact of the Chicxulub asteroid strike. This strike led to the extinction of 75% of all species around at that time, including the non-avian dinosaurs. The computer model suggests dust caused the mass extinction (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/oct/30/dust-drove-dinosaurs-extinction-after-asteroid-impact-scientists-say). Deposits suggest that circa 2,000bn tonnes of dust was driven high into the Earth's atmosphere. The model suggests that some of this dust remained aloft for up to 15 years. This would block the sunlight and, for around 2 years, there would be no photosynthesis to produce the plants needed to feed herbivores. The planet would also be notably cooler (bad news for all 'standard' 'cold-blooded' reptiles). Without the herbivores, large carnivores would also starve. It seems likely that dust did for the dinosaurs!