Comet showers as a cause of mass extinctions

Nature
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Abstract

If at least some mass extinctions are caused by impacts, why do they extend over intervals of one to three million years and have a partly stepwise character? The solution may be provided by multiple cometary impacts. Astronomical, geological and palaeontological evidence is consistent with a causal connection between comet showers, clusters of impact events and stepwise mass extinctions, but it is too early to tell how pervasive this relationship may be.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Comet showers as a cause of mass extinctions
Series title Nature
DOI 10.1038/329118a0
Volume 329
Year Published 1987
Language English
Publisher Nature Publishing Group
Description 9 p.
First page 118
Last page 126
Other Geospatial Earth
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