Why did the dinosaurs go extinct, and what evidence supports this theory?

The dinosaurs went extinct because Earth got hit by a giant space rock, and there’s lots of clues that help us know this is true.

Imagine you're playing outside on a sunny day, and suddenly a big rock from space crashes into your neighborhood. That's what happened to the dinosaurs, a huge space rock, called an asteroid, smashed into Earth around 65 million years ago. It was so big that it changed everything: it made giant waves, caused wildfires, and blocked out the sun for a long time.

Scientists have found many clues hiding in rocks and fossils. One of them is a layer of dust all over the world, like when you shake a jar full of tiny bits and then dump it on the floor. That dust came from the space rock hitting Earth, and it helped make the dinosaurs go extinct.

Another clue is the size of the crater in Mexico, it's so big that if you were a dinosaur, you'd have to run for your life to escape it! These clues are like pieces of a puzzle that help scientists know what really happened.