Dinosaurs ‘wiped out by double disasters’

Dinosaurs were wiped out by a double-whammy disaster caused by a meteor impact followed by a volcanic storm, new evidence has shown.

The creatures’ 160m-year reign is said to have ended when a 9.5km wide asteroid or comet smashed into the Earth off the coast of Mexico 66m years ago, changing the climate around the world.

Some experts insist the impact was a red herring and the real reason for the mass extinction was a surge of volcanic activity in a region of India known as the Deccan Traps.