Dem Dinos, Dem Dinos, Dem Dead Dinos

[Ryan J. Wyatt <rjw@regulus.rice.edu>]

I just posted the following message to sci.bio, and a kind soul 
recommended that I join the dinosaur list-server and ask my question
here.  So...  That's what I'm doing.  I hope I will be forgiven for 
suddenly materializing with such a lengthy message.

(Also, please forgive the tone of the message, given that it was 
written for USENET and not the more intimate environs of a list
server.)

Having grown up watching shows in planetaria and reading the popular 
press, I have lived my life believing that dinosaurs kicked the bucket
when a big chunk o' meteorite slammed into the earth, polluted the
atmosphere with enough dust to block the sunlight, and generally caused
a bunch of problems for the old lizards.

However, some acquaintances with a biology bent are now telling me that 
I may have been deluded:  other, evolutionary reasons set the dinos up 
for their fall.  

As an inquisitive fellow, I'd like to know more.  I had a chance to ask 
Robert Bakker *his* opinion recently, and he indicated that general 
thinking was along the lines of population mixing and contamination
(!?!), but he couldn't/wouldn't give me any specific sources to learn 
more, so of course, I have chosen to turn to the Net.

If you have a pet dead-dino theory AND A REFERENCE OR TWO, I'd like
to hear about it.  Obviously, if this is in a FAQ somewhere, flame me 
liberally and send me the FTP site.  Otherwise, a review article would 
be delightful.  I'm willing to slog through a variety of sources, 
though.  No speculation and junk, please--I'd much prefer a nice 
reference work to curl up to in my summer deck chair.  

(Added to the USENET POST:  BTW, although I do not normally read 
sci.bio, I'll be keeping tabs on follow-ups for the next few weeks.  
But if this turns into a screwy discussion involving Jack Ruby and 
conspiracy theory, I'm bailing.  E-mail replies will be much 
appreciated.)

Thanks for all your help!


Ryan Wyatt (rjw@regulus.rice.edu)
Manager, Burke Baker Planetarium
Houston Museum of Natural Science
One Hermann Circle Drive
Houston, TX 77030-1799
(713) 639-4638