So, where did all the dinosaurs go?

As you might expect, this is a question paleontologists argue over in bars whenever they get together.

Professor Zorigt Badmkhatanhad says the accepted wisdom comes down to two theories – an asteroid impact wiping out a large area and sending clouds of dust around the planet, which block out the sun. Or a period of wild volcanic activity, for which he believes there’s a lack of supporting evidence.

Like all dino-scientists, however, Zorigt has his own theories.

“We’re pretty sure the meteor struck in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Americas, but then what kills all the dinosaurs in Asia? Because that’s a long way away from the impact and the worst of the effects,” he says. “It’s just a theory, but what if the dust cloud was big enough to change the temperature, just by a degree or two, just enough so that the eggs stopped hatching. So all the dinosaurs are fine, but no young ones are being born, so gradually they just fade away. The fact is, no one really knows, of course, and it’s hard to explain why some species, like crocodiles, survived.”