Dinosaurs controlled the Earth around 66 million years ago. However, a giant asteroid with a diameter of more than 9 kilometers collided with a shallow sea in Mexico. This caused a massive explosion that triggered worldwide earthquakes, tidal surges, bushfires, and even toxic rain.
How the Dinosaurs Disappeared but Crocodiles Survived / Shutterstock
Additionally, the asteroid struck in one of the most dangerous locations conceivable, where the rocks might easily be “exploded” (or vapourised). This spewed enormous volumes of dust into the sky, effectively shutting out the Sun for months and plunging the Earth into a lengthy, dark, and frigid winter.
Without sunlight, green plants perished, as did the plant-eating creatures that relied on them for survival, as well as the meat-eating animals that ate the plant-eating animals. According to scientists, three-quarters of all animal species on Earth were wiped off, including most dinosaurs. However, some survived for a variety of reasons.
A significant troop of dinosaurs sailed past, aided by their abilities to fly and forage in remote locations. Their feathers kept them warm, and their beaks enabled them to consume buried seeds located among dead plants. Surprisingly, these dinosaur survivors have survived to the present day and are believed to have become birds! Crocodiles were another renowned survivor of the asteroid. While they cannot fly, lack feathers, and do not consume seeds, their bodies are very energy efficient. They spend a lot of time lying about, breathing slowly, and even have a very sluggish pulse. This is how they may remain submerged for more than an hour. This also implies they may spend months, if not years, without sustenance. This would have been beneficial whenever food (such as other animals) became scarce after the asteroid’s impact.
How the Dinosaurs Disappeared but Crocodiles Survived / Shutterstock
On the other hand, dinosaurs were often more active, which required more energy — particularly meat-eating dinosaurs such as Velociraptors. They would have perished soon without nourishment. Crocodiles also lived in areas where the loss of green vegetation had little effect.
Generally found in rivers, lakes, and coastlines, animals that live in these areas do not need as much green flora. Dead plants and animal matter wash in from the surrounding land, where they are consumed by small critters, which are ultimately consumed by more giant predators, such as crocodiles. In contrast to dinosaurs that lived on land, crocodiles in rivers would not have perished from starvation as soon as the green vegetation disappeared.
