Evolution has been a part of primary discussion for a very long time, but what exactly is evolution? Naturally, there are two theories. One religious, and the other scientific. The religious theory states that god is the creator of all living things, but on the other hand, the scientific theory states that the ‘Big Bang’, an explosion, is the base for living things. I decided to write about the evolution and extinction of dinosaurs because the whole idea of a species so majestic, large and powerful getting completely wiped out is somewhat of a disturbance to me. I felt that if something had wiped out an entire race of living things, then, it is a possibility that it could happen again, maybe to our own species.
Dinosaurs, being one of the most exciting creatures to roam the earth are a part of what we call ‘evolution’. It is a simple and obvious fact that Dinosaurs did not suddenly come into existence two hundred million years ago. Like all living things, they evolved, slowly and gradually, from creatures that roamed the earth before them. These former creatures were primitive reptiles known as the Archosaurs.
Archosaurs were not so different from dinosaurs except for the large difference in size, etc. Some Paleontologists believe that all dinosaurs evolved from one kind of Achosaur, the Lagosuchus, a quick but small reptile that lived in the forests of the early Triassic period.
The Permian Extinction opened up huge swaths of evolutionary territory for the Archosaurs, some of which evolved over tens of millions of years into the dinosaurs we know and love today. As is the case with all species, the slow, winding path taken by dinosaur evolution depended on a variety of factors, including climate, competition, and the availability of food.
Dinosaurs, although being extremely interesting, are but one group of animals that became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous. There are many theories, supposedly over one hundred, to how the dinosaurs became extinct, and each theory has some evidence to support it. There is the meteorite theory, the ice age theory, the theory that the dinosaurs could have starved to death or died from overeating. Some dinosaur extinction theories state that dinosaurs died from the cold, while others suggest the beasts died from the heat, or else it was too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. Some theories state that the climate became too wet, while others that the climate dried out to kill off the dinosaurs. Or their extinction may have been caused by a nutritional problem, such as newly ‘evolved’ flowering plants not providing the proper nutritional balance. There is also the possibility that the flowering plants could have evolved poisons that killed the dinosaurs. On the other hand, many anti-climatic evolutionists believe that there was no such thing as a ‘mass extinction’. I like to favor the theory of the ice age. I favor this theory because there has been scientific proof that the world at that time was in the age of an extreme climate change. Also, there have been discoveries of fossilized cold water planktons, where the sea should be warm, which proves that there must have been some kind of extreme climate change that allowed the planktons to live there. In conclusion, dinosaurs that once ruled the seas and land, were all descendants of a smaller species of reptiles, possibly one specific specie of reptile. And though, there were so many species, strong, large, and unstoppable, they somehow became extinct. The reason of how they became extinct is not justified, but there are hundreds of different theories, each theory as exciting as the next, and each with evidence to support them. I like to favor the theory of the coming of an ice age, because I believe that it is the most understandable theory with great evidence to back it up. Dinosaurs may have roamed the world in their times, but the mysterious of the exciting disappearance of them still puzzle but entertain us today. I know the in the near future that scientists and paleontologists will work it out, but until then, the whole topic will compel us in a fun debate of how such powerful creatures simply died out.

References

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_technology_story_skin/432528%3Fformat=html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_dinosaurs

Walking with Monsters(DVD)