Abstract
Numerous hypotheses have been advanced to explain the worldwide extinction event that led to the disappearance of the dinosaurs. There is considerable empirical support for the well-known asteroid impact hypothesis, and volcanic eruptions in the Deccan Traps have also been implicated. Increasingly, theories involving multiple causes are being considered, yet few of these consider how the cognitive and behavioral abilities of certain classes of animals may have differed in ways that allowed some to survive while others perished. Here we advance the hypothesis along with supporting evidence that the emergence of toxic plants coupled with an inability to form learned taste aversions may have contributed to the extinction of dinosaurs.
Highlights
The prevailing view of dinosaur extinction is that it occurred as a consequence of a biotic crisis occasioned by a colossal asteroid impact
The observed layer of iridium is consistent with a colossal asteroid impact, which created the equivalent of what is known as a nuclear winter or “impact winter” (Vellekoop et al 2016)
There is considerable empirical support for the asteroid impact hypothesis, the evidence is consistent with the possibility that dinosaurs went extinct partly as a consequence of a specific behavioral deficit: an inability to form learned food aversions
Summary
The prevailing view of dinosaur extinction is that it occurred as a consequence of a biotic crisis occasioned by a colossal asteroid impact. When animals are exposed to novel food and made sick they typically develop a robust learned taste aversion after a single trial and avoid eating that food in the future (Nowlis et al 1980). The evolution of the widespread and highly specialized ability to form learned taste aversions was an adaption to the emergence of plant toxicity.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
