It's MANBEARPIG! Dinosaurs 'gassed' themselves into extinction, British scientists say

[Dennis Olson]

Dinosaurs 'gassed' themselves into extinction, British scientists say

Published May 07, 2012

| NewsCore

LONDON – Dinosaurs may have farted themselves to extinction, according to a new study from British scientists.

The researchers calculated that the prehistoric beasts pumped out more than 520 million tons (472 million tonnes) of methane a year -- enough to warm the planet and hasten their own eventual demise.

Until now, an asteroid strike and volcanic activity around 65 million years ago had seemed the most likely cause of their extinction.

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Giant plant-eating sauropods were fingered as the key culprits in the study, which appears in the latest edition of the journal Current Biology. An average argentinosaurus, weighing around 90 tons (82 tonnes) and measuring 140 feet (42m), chomped its way through half a ton (half a tonne) of ferns a day, producing clouds of methane as the food broke down in its gut.

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Professor Graeme Ruxton from St. Andrews University in Scotland and co-researcher David Wilkinson, from Liverpool John Moores University, worked out just how much of the greenhouse gas the billions of dinosaurs would have generated during the Mesozoic era, starting 250 million years ago.

"A simple mathematical model suggests that the microbes living in sauropod dinosaurs may have produced enough methane to have an important effect on the Mesozoic climate," Wilkinson said. "In fact, our calculations suggest these dinosaurs may have produced more methane than all the modern sources, natural and human, put together."

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The dinosaur output of 520 million tons (472 million tonnes) is comparable to current natural and man-made emissions of the greenhouse gas, which scientists say is around 21 times more powerful than CO2 at trapping heat on Earth and causing climate change. Cows and other farm animals globally contribute up to 100 million tons (90 million tonnes) a year of methane.
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[Hansa44]

Where do they come up with this s***?

Oops, sorry. Guess it didn't turn into s***. They gassed themselves before it had time to turn into fertilizer.

[Blastoff]

Well, with all that methane floating around, I suggest when the volcano spewed, kablooey!

[Limner]

Crud, if this was true, you'da thought Washington DC woulda croaked YEARS ago.....

[Satanta]

Well, with all that methane floating around, I suggest when the volcano spewed, kablooey!

You have a point.

The meteor strike is a fallacy.

That crater must coincide at the point of the largest herd of fart machines and a lightning strike.

~poot.~

~KABOOOOOOM!!!!~

[Publius]

Watch them try and use this to get rid of more livestock under the idea it's to prevent Global Warming.

[bw]

how much of the greenhouse gas the billions of dinosaurs would have generated during the Mesozoic era

I'd be interested in knowing where this count came from. I had not heard anyone estimating worldwide populations of herbivores. Roughly speaking, the bigger they are, the fewer they are.

On that note, I seem to recall that termites generate more methane today than all other sources combined.

[Border Guns]

Termites! Methane! Don't through that light switch ........ BOOM......on. Gotta get this house tented some day, dang it.

[Kook]

You have a point.

The meteor strike is a fallacy.

That crater must coincide at the point of the largest herd of fart machines and a lightning strike.

~poot.~

~KABOOOOOOM!!!!~

I suspect the sounds were much like the Martian machines in the recent War of the Worlds movie. Maybe the asteroid was the ignition source.

[Richard]

more BS that fits in with the CO2 and methane cause GW theory

dinosaurs were around for 160 million years then suddenly were destroyed according to evidence

[West]

Funny, to even consider this PC environmental propaganda. But sad that so many will believe it.

[Beelbill]

[Satanta]

I suspect the sounds were much like the Martian machines in the recent War of the Worlds movie. Maybe the asteroid was the ignition source.

Have it as a cellphone ringtone. Realy creeps people out even those not having seen the movie.

[gawarriorqueen]

They honestly think we are complete idiots ...