Scientific Inquiry

Question 2 • 2026 Summer 305 CR_2002040-M/J Comprehensive Science 1

Which statement accurately summarizes the Alvarez asteroid impact theory of dinosaur extinction?

Answer

An asteroid struck Earth, altering the environmental conditions and leading to the extinction of many species, including dinosaurs.

Changes in global temperatures imposed stress on the dinosaurs and they could not adapt fast enough to survive and reproduce.

All dinosaurs lived in an isolated area. An asteroid struck this area, killing many dinosaurs. There were not enough survivors to maintain the species over time.

Dinosaurs that ate plants competed for food with too many other organisms. Due to their size, they could not find enough food to survive.

Explanation

The Alvarez theory proposes that a large asteroid struck Earth and caused major environmental changes, disrupting ecosystems and leading to a mass extinction that included the dinosaurs. Choice A describes this impact and its broad effects. Choice C is too narrow: the theory does not say the asteroid struck an isolated area where all dinosaurs lived.

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