Isotope Analysis Reveals Chicxulub Impactor as Rare Carbonaceous Chondrite

Sep 28, 2024, 04:30 PM

Scientists have identified the Chicxulub impactor—the asteroid responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs—as a carbonaceous chondrite, a rare and ancient type of meteorite that formed beyond Jupiter's orbit. Isotope analysis has revealed that this asteroid, which killed three-quarters of Earth's species, originated from an extraordinarily rare source.