Kring David A
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Department of Planetary Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson 85721, USA.
Astrobiology. 2003 Spring;3(1):133-52. doi: 10.1089/153110703321632471.
The end of the Mesozoic Era is defined by a dramatic floral and faunal turnover that has been linked with the Chicxulub impact event, thus leading to the realization that impact cratering can affect both the geologic and biologic evolution of Earth. However, the environmental consequences of an impact event and any subsequent biological effects rely on several factors, including the ambient environmental conditions and the extant ecosystem structures at the time of impact. Some of the severest environmental perturbations of the Chicxulub impact event would not have been significant in some periods of Earth history. Consequently, the environmental and biological effects of an impact event must be evaluated in the context in which it occurs.
中生代末期的定义是一次剧烈的动植物更替，这与希克苏鲁伯撞击事件有关，从而使人们认识到撞击坑的形成会影响地球的地质和生物演化。然而，撞击事件的环境后果以及任何后续的生物效应取决于几个因素，包括撞击时的环境条件和现存的生态系统结构。在地球历史的某些时期，希克苏鲁伯撞击事件的一些最严重的环境扰动可能并不显著。因此，必须在撞击事件发生的背景下来评估其环境和生物效应。
