Most scientists believe that the dinosaurs went extinct due to ____.

A) runaway global warming
B) competition from early mammals
C) a meteorite impact
D) a pandemic disease
E) unknown causes

The most widely accepted theory is that a large meteorite impact caused a catastrophic event that ultimately led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. This theory is supported by the global presence of a layer of iridium (a rare element found in meteorites) in rocks dating back to the time of the extinction, as well as evidence of a massive crater in the Gulf of Mexico that dates back to the same time period.