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RE: (meteorobs) extinctions
Just a curiosity... how do they know how long ago these alleged meteoric
extinctions occurred, let alone that the human population was reduced to
10,000 at some point?
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-meteorobs@atmob.org [mailto:owner-meteorobs@atmob.org]On Behalf
Of Tom Fleming
Several years ago, (when dinosaur killers was a hot topic), a researcher
showed that mass extinctions occurred on average about every 600,000 years-
not on the same scale as the two main events of 200 million (guestimate from
memory) and the more famous one 65 million years ago. These extinction stats
are based on the diversity of fossil counts for the various time spans into
the past as related in an article in Sky & Tel. (If anyone can remember the
date of publication - I would appreciate it)
We must also include major eruptions on the planet which can match minor
impacts from space when it comes to putting particulate matter into the
atmosphere.
There was even a significant event that reduced the human population to
10,000 on the entire planet as well as affecting other creatures.
The planet and universe is a lot more unstable than we believed during my
upbringing in the 50's.
It takes a great deal of stability to maintain this civilization at this
level. Not unlike a sprinter at full speed, the tinniest upset will cause
the runner to lose his balance. A primitive culture, on the other hand,
doesnt have very far to fall. Consider how long it took Mobile and southern
Dade county to recover after their hurricane related devastations.
I havent become a doomsayer because of the changes in my awareness. I enjoy
all we have even more deeply.
Tom
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