Friday, September 28th, 2007
Ice Age Extinctions

A colorized scanning electron microscope image of a glassy carbon sphere about .012 inches in width that may contain evidence of extraterrestrial impact. SEM imaging by Jim Wittke
One team of scientists thinks it knows what killed the woolly mammoth and other ice-age creatures. In a paper published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they say they have evidence that a comet or other low-density space object exploded in the upper atmosphere of the Earth about 13,000 years ago, possibly leading to the extinction of mammoths and the decline of Stone Age people. We'll talk about their findings.
Guests
Peter Schultz
Professor, Geological Sciences
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island
Related Links
- Extra-terrestrial impact did in mammoths: scientists
- globeandmail.com: Giant comet wiped out woolly mammoths, scientists theorize
Segment produced by:Karin Vergoth
Listen:
Friday, September 28th, 2007
-
Sputnik Anniversary
-
Global Warming Fix
-
Bush Climate Meeting
- Ice Age Extinctions
-
Hunting Mammoth DNA
Elsewhere on Sciencefriday.com
Tracking Near-Earth Objects
The Dirt on Mammoth DNA
Extinctions from Algae?
Studying Comet Contents
Jupiter Impact
Studying a Baby Mammoth
Extinct Genes Resurrected












