There are many theories about how dinosaurs came to be extinct. Scientists do not all agree about what may have happened. The most recent idea says that a giant meteorite crashed into the earth. It kicked up enough dust and dirt that the Sun’s rays did not reach Earth for a very long time. This prevented plants from making their own food via photosynthesis. Plant-eaters and then, meat-eaters died due to a lack of food.

The other leading idea says that dinosaurs died out when the Earth went through a time of volcanoes erupting. Like the meteorite idea, it is thought that the volcanoes spewed enough ash into the air that the Sun’s rays were blocked. This also caused plant and animal life to die.

How can lack of sunlight cause animals to become extinct?