Efforts to identify what wiped out the creatures is being confused by evidence of massive volcanic activity in India at the same time, and a fossil record suggesting dinosaurs might have disappeared gradually as the Earth's climate and geology changed over millions of years, the London Telegraph reported Thursday.
The controversy has been centered on a paper written by Peter Schulte of the University of Nuernberg and colleagues in the journal Sedimentary Geology. They say two cores drilled in Brazos, Texas, provide support for the asteroid-impact theory.
But critics, such as Princeton University Professor Gerta Keller, accuse Schulte and his associates of "ignoring scientific methods," making claims with "no basis in fact" and "circular reasoning."
The Telegraph noted the only thing upon which all scientists agree is that the dinosaurs became extinct.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
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