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The date of the impact coincides precisely with the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary (K–Pg boundary), slightly more than 66 million years ago. [7] The crater is estimated to be over 150 km (93 mi) in diameter [10] and 20 km (12 mi) in depth, well into the continental crust of the region of about 10–30 km (6.2–18.6 mi) depth.
Plant fossils are common in both the Late Cretaceous and early Paleocene portions of the Edmonton Group. [7] Remains of Triceratops and other dinosaurs are found in the Late Cretaceous portion, especially the Horseshoe Canyon Formation and the lower part of the Scollard Formation. Molluscs such as Ostrea and Unio are found in both portions. [1]
The Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) extinction event, [a] also known as the K–T extinction, [b] was the mass extinction of three-quarters of the plant and animal species on Earth [2] [3] approximately 66 million years ago. The event caused the extinction of all non-avian dinosaurs.
The Cretaceous (along with the Mesozoic) ended with the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, a large mass extinction in which many groups, including non-avian dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and large marine reptiles, died out, widely thought to have been caused by the impact of a large asteroid that formed the Chicxulub crater in
The Hell Creek Formation in Montana overlies the Fox Hills Formation and underlies the Fort Union Formation, and the boundary with the latter occurs near the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary (K–Pg), which defines the end of the Cretaceous period and has been dated to 66 ± 0.07 Ma old. [6]
These plants likely survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, which killed off most life 66 Ma, on the volcanic Antarctic Peninsula; plant fossils dating to 60 Ma in the Paleocene from Seymour Island off this peninsula are recognized as being the ancestors of temperate plants inhabiting modern-day Australia and South America. [27]
The Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary occurs in the lower part of the formation, and an exposure of the boundary layer has been identified and documented on South Table Mountain near the city of Golden. [12] Plant fossils [13] and remains of vertebrates, including turtles [14] and mammals, [15] are found throughout the Denver Formation. [6]
The Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event (formerly known as the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event) [a] occurred at the end of this age. [3] In this mass extinction , many commonly recognized groups such as non-avian dinosaurs , plesiosaurs and mosasaurs , as well as many other lesser-known groups, died out.