How a Mass Extinction Event Created the Amazon

The Amazon rainforest, home to thousands of species, is primarily composed of flowering plants, or angiosperms, which dominate due to historical events. Initially, the Amazon was filled with ferns and gymnosperms. However, an asteroid impact 66 million years ago triggered the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, altering ecosystems and favoring angiosperms. The impact released phosphorus, benefiting fast-growing plants, and the absence of dinosaurs changed forest dynamics, leading to the closed canopy forests we see today. This mass extinction event paved the way for the Amazon's current biodiversity.

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