The asteroid that allegedly hit the Earth and killed all dinosaurs did not actually wipe out all life on Earth. In fact, it may have been one of the reasons why life was restored. There had been reports that life re-emerged exactly where the asteroid hit Earth.
So how did an asteroid kill dinosaurs and take along with it more than 50 percent of other organisms?
According to a report from the Planetary Science Institute, an asteroid of that size could have created significant damage because of a variety of reasons. For instance, while it was falling toward the surface, it could have rained down burning rock and fragments, causing fire in forests and any type of vegetation it came across. Then as it hit Earth, it could have created monstrous earthquakes. From this, there could definitely be tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.
As reported by the Washington Post, it would seem that the strong impact has overturned soil layers from the Earth's surface, and a study has noted that organisms may have been formed in the crater itself. However, they are yet to release information regarding the organisms that the study found.
But out of all the creatures that have perished during the impact, it seems that fish and other water creatures have survived even the poisoning of the Earth's waters as explained by Smithsonian Magazine. It is good to note that not all dinosaurs died upon impact. Some others have perished mainly because of competition for resources. It seemed that bony fishes at the time may not have much competition.
Furthermore, according to studies, the extinction of large herbivorous dinosaurs has led to the flourish of forests. The new landscape may have given rise to the growth and proliferation of small mammals, allowing them to evolve and grow in number. The rise of the bony fish and mammals has changed the ecosystem of the entire planet.