May 16, 20002

There is new evidence that a comet hitting the Earth may have led to the rise of the dinosaurs.

Researchers say the impact wiped out most of their competitors allowing them the chance to flourish and later dominate Earth.

US scientists looking at rocks from the time dinosaurs arose have found traces of a material commonly found in space debris.

They say the finding is ironic because a similar impact wiped out the dinosaurs 135 million years later.

The iridium dust was found using a new technique developed by scientists in Austria.

Professor Dennis Kent, of Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey, analysed footprints, bones and plant spores from sites throughout eastern North America.

He said: "Our research adds to the speculation that there was a comet or asteroid impact about 200 million years ago, followed relatively quickly by the rising dominance of dinosaur populations of the Jurassic period. Dinosaurs went on to dominate for the next 135 million years."

Professor Kent believes the effects of the first impact killed off or reduced many competitive species and cleared the way for dinosaurs to adapt and flourish.

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