Dinosaurs Stephen Jay Gould Analysis

The dinosaurs and their demise are one of, if not the most intriguing question that leaves everyone bewildered. The first recorded discovery of the dinosaurs dates approximately in the mid-1800s, thus sparking the interest into the study known today as paleontology. A paleontologist by the name of Stephen Jay Gould elaborated his point of view on the subject and compiled what he thought were the three best arguments he was aware of at the time. Prior to presenting the theories he chose, he explains the meaning of science, stating that it isn't filled with answers, but instead questions. The first approach is sex, meaning that the dinosaurs became extinct because the male reproductive organs could not function in a setting that was too hot or cold. Unfortunate for the dinosaurs, reptiles do not possess the function to control their internal body temperature. To add to that theory, Gould cites a study conducted by three experts; E.H. Colbert, R.B. Cowles, and C.M. Bogert, which was on large and smaller alligators, proving that the
So every theory in this article is plausible, but some of these concepts, may not provide enough evidence to conclude the argument, but one idea stands out the meteor impact. With the meteor impact, a chemical was found, iridium, which is not indigenous to certain areas on Earth. Coincidently the meteor had high concentrations of iridium causing a spark in interest for the science community, unlike the other two. Studies cannot be conducted on any of the dinosaur’s fossils to prove whether or not they over-heated or over-dosed, so we are left at a dead end until technology advances or circumstances