The Last Days of the Dinosaurs: An Asteroid, Extinction, and the Beginning of Our World
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- Create Date：2022-04-26 03:19:51
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Riley Black
- ISBN：1250271045
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Summary
In The Last Days of the Dinosaurs， Riley Black walks readers through what happened in the days， the years， the centuries， and the million years after the impact， tracking the sweeping disruptions that overtook this one spot， and imagining what might have been happening elsewhere on the globe。 Life’s losses were sharp and deeply-felt， but the hope carried by the beings that survived sets the stage for the world as we know it now。
Picture yourself in the Cretaceous period。 It’s a sunny afternoon in the Hell Creek of ancient Montana 66 million years ago。 A Triceratops horridus ambles along the edge of the forest。 In a matter of hours， everything here will be wiped away。 Lush verdure will be replaced with fire。 Tyrannosaurus rex will be toppled from their throne， along with every other species of non-avian dinosaur no matter their size， diet， or disposition。 They just don’t know it yet。
The cause of this disaster was identified decades ago。 An asteroid some seven miles across slammed into the Earth， leaving a geologic wound over 50 miles in diameter。 In the terrible mass extinction that followed， more than half of known species vanished seemingly overnight。 But this worst single day in the history of life on Earth was as critical for us as it was for the dinosaurs， as it allowed for evolutionary opportunities that were closed for the previous 100 million years。
Picture yourself in the Cretaceous period。 It’s a sunny afternoon in the Hell Creek of ancient Montana 66 million years ago。 A Triceratops horridus ambles along the edge of the forest。 In a matter of hours， everything here will be wiped away。 Lush verdure will be replaced with fire。 Tyrannosaurus rex will be toppled from their throne， along with every other species of non-avian dinosaur no matter their size， diet， or disposition。 They just don’t know it yet。
The cause of this disaster was identified decades ago。 An asteroid some seven miles across slammed into the Earth， leaving a geologic wound over 50 miles in diameter。 In the terrible mass extinction that followed， more than half of known species vanished seemingly overnight。 But this worst single day in the history of life on Earth was as critical for us as it was for the dinosaurs， as it allowed for evolutionary opportunities that were closed for the previous 100 million years。
Reviews
Tawney
，
This is a good examination of the end of the dinosaurs and what happened next。 It is non-technical。 There is no jargon。 Black provides vignettes of life at different stages before， during and after the asteroid impact that caused mass extinction of life on earth 66 million years ago。 Her depictions seem more realistic than cartoonish。 Life in any age is complex and dependent on it's surroundings。 There is a lot of information about what it takes for an ecosystem to rebuild after disaster and it This is a good examination of the end of the dinosaurs and what happened next。 It is non-technical。 There is no jargon。 Black provides vignettes of life at different stages before， during and after the asteroid impact that caused mass extinction of life on earth 66 million years ago。 Her depictions seem more realistic than cartoonish。 Life in any age is complex and dependent on it's surroundings。 There is a lot of information about what it takes for an ecosystem to rebuild after disaster and it has implications to our own times。 This is the guts of the book and since where we are today is because of what happened back then it's very worth learning not simply what happened， but how。 I would suggest reading the Appendix where Black explains some of the choices made in her version of the story。 Also a glance through the Notes shows that there was indeed plenty of serious research。 。。。more
Brendan Dowd
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Full review coming soon
Allison
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I received an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review。 "Beginnings need endings， a lesson that we can either hold carefully or that we can deny until it finds us。"This isn't really a dinosaur book， in the way that I was expecting from the title， instead it's an extinction event book。 Silly me I thought it was going to be a book about the last days of the dinosaurs prior to/just after the extinction event。 The majority of this book is actually about what happens after the I received an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review。 "Beginnings need endings， a lesson that we can either hold carefully or that we can deny until it finds us。"This isn't really a dinosaur book， in the way that I was expecting from the title， instead it's an extinction event book。 Silly me I thought it was going to be a book about the last days of the dinosaurs prior to/just after the extinction event。 The majority of this book is actually about what happens after the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event， and mostly doesn't involve dinosaurs。 I like to call these books flowery nonfiction because though they are based in nonfiction the author takes a lot of liberties in the language and the stories depicted。 The author does the best she can to present the information in a manner that respects the proven science while using her imagination to fill in the gaps and make the information more palatable to the consumer。 At least she mentions this in the book， and how she hopes that science will be able to prove/disprove her theories in the future。 I think the story was ok， but I found it really slowed down in the middle。 I think I liked that the conclusion and appendix chapters the most。 I could have read way more of that。 type of information。 One of my favourite parts was when the author mentioned her anemoia for dinosaurs。 I didn't even know that was a thing， but when I read it I knew that I couldn't agree more。 。。。more
ScaryShelley
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So， this is a very long enthusiastic review， which got a bit away from me， so here’s the short version: this book is amazing， and if you love dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures， you need to read it。 If you don’t， read this book， and you’ll grow to love them！ It will reshape your fundamental understanding of dinosaurs， the rise of mammals， and the very nature of life and ecosystems on this planet。 Like many people， I loved dinosaurs and prehistoric animals as a kid。 As an adult， I’ve continued r So， this is a very long enthusiastic review， which got a bit away from me， so here’s the short version: this book is amazing， and if you love dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures， you need to read it。 If you don’t， read this book， and you’ll grow to love them！ It will reshape your fundamental understanding of dinosaurs， the rise of mammals， and the very nature of life and ecosystems on this planet。 Like many people， I loved dinosaurs and prehistoric animals as a kid。 As an adult， I’ve continued reading books about science， including quite a few books about dinosaurs， but it’s been a while since I came across a book about prehistory that reignited the sense of joy and wonder I felt as a kid， the sense that there was so much still to discover。 The Last Days of the Dinosaurs did this for me， reinvigorating my sense of wonder， and my desire to know more。 Black’s account of the end of the K-Pg extinction reads like a story， inviting the reader to the fifth mass extinction in Earth’s history， and the series of events that led to the end of the non-avian dinosaurs and the improbable rise of mammals。 Black focuses particularly on the Hell’s Creek Formation and uses several species found there at different points in time as actors in her prehistoric scenes。 These species range from the well-known and charismatic dinosaurs just before their extinction to lesser-known creatures such as the tiny， tree-shrew-like early primate and insectivore， Purgatorius。 She also checks in on other locations around the world in vignettes to demonstrate the impact’s global reach。 Each chapter is set in a different time period， beginning at just before the impact （chapter one） and finally ending at one million years after the impact （chapter eight）。 As Black discusses in her Conclusion and Appendix， this book isn’t intended to be completely factual。 She takes known information and extrapolates creatively to paint a compelling picture of what might have been。 Her gifted writing makes the case that the boundary we tend to put between the hard sciences and the humanities is artificial and damaging。 By using her imagination to extrapolate （and， yes， occasionally speculate）， Black brings this prehistoric world to life in a way I haven’t seen before from any writer。 Her storytelling makes complex processes and ideas much easier to grasp for the non-expert。 As adults， I think we often get the sense， especially with things in the far past， that knowledge is somehow “done” or complete， and that we don’t have anything more to learn。 We get complacent and stop challenging the world and ourselves。 I’m ashamed to say I had a little of this attitude before reading this book and learning， among other things， that: there used to be inch-long fleas（！）， we’re still discovering dozens of new dino species a year， and the explosion of flowering plants post impact directly contributed to mammalian （and primate！） success。 Really， I could write for quite a while about what I learned， but it’s probably best that you go read the book for yourselves。 Black’s book altered my understanding of how ecosystems work and how niches and species proliferate。 She shows that no life or species exists in a vacuum， and that the rise of flowering plants and the eventual diversification of mammals post Chicxulub Impact wasn't inevitable。 A few years ago， I had the chance to see the K-Pg boundary （as Black notes， anachronistically still called K-T boundary） near Trinidad， Colorado just as she describes in her conclusion。 My new knowledge has enriched that memory， and made me want to see it again soon。 I’m very grateful for St。 Martin’s Press for reaching out to me about this book， and for NetGalley for giving me the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Nataliya
，
“Beginnings need endings， a lesson that we can either hold carefully or that we can deny until it finds us。”Sixty-something million years ago the world irrevocably changed。 One day enormous colossal herbivores and carnivores a。k。a。 T。 rex and Co。 rule the world， shaping itself their needs and creating an ecosystem in which the world of the Cretaceous era thrives。 The next day that world is mostly gone， the fascinating prehistoric monsters dead and the world eventually becoming the place for “Beginnings need endings， a lesson that we can either hold carefully or that we can deny until it finds us。”Sixty-something million years ago the world irrevocably changed。 One day enormous colossal herbivores and carnivores a。k。a。 T。 rex and Co。 rule the world， shaping itself their needs and creating an ecosystem in which the world of the Cretaceous era thrives。 The next day that world is mostly gone， the fascinating prehistoric monsters dead and the world eventually becoming the place for mammals， with only tiny feathered dinosaurs — yes， think about that next time a pigeon poops on you， and a hummingbird is an ex-dino just like a chihuahua is an ex-wolf — living on， while their mighty cousins whose skeletons are breathtaking and majestic and command our imagination remained trapped forever behind the Cretaceous–Paleogene （K–Pg） boundary。 “In a matter of hours， everything before us will be wiped away。 Lush verdure will be replaced with fire。 Sunny skies will grow dark with soot。 Carpets of vegetation will be reduced to ash。 Contorted carcasses， dappled with cracked skin， will soon dot the razed landscape。” The story of how we got there is often in the minds of many summarized as such: “Often， this is about as far as the discussion goes: an immense rock smacked into the planet and myriad species were summarily snuffed out。 Simple as that。” Riley Black decided to give us the details - the infrared pulse， the infernal fires， the impact winter， the acid rain， and how it may have affected different dinosaur species and why。 “This time， the great rock is going to hit。 It’s not going to get bumped off course by another asteroid。 It’s not going to burrow into Mars and crack the Red Planet’s dry surface。 It’s not going to slam into the orbiting moon， as many other rocks have， making lunar seas and craters。 Out of millions of potentially deadly rocks， this is the one。 This is the accident that will exact an awful toll on Earth’s species， but without malice or vengeance。 It’s both end and beginning， a period that will punctuate the Earth and create a stark dividing line between the seemingly endless Age of Reptiles and the fiery dawn of the Age of Mammals。”————“The battle for life on the first day of the Paleocene is won and lost by little more than biological threads。 Only those organisms that are able to find shelter—below the ground， beneath the water—have any chance。 All others， from the largest Edmontosaurus to the smallest insect， perish。 There is no behavior that can save them。 Evolution prepared them for the world of tomorrow， and perhaps the day after， but not for this。” Black focuses not just on the catastrophe but on the interplay between the species since the ecosystems are all about the links between the organisms。 She does it in an almost nature documentary style， bringing the point of view of one creature， then another and so on （and explaining her reasons for making certain choices in the chapter notes in the end， that are almost a long as the book itself）。 Dinosaurs in the before and during the asteroid strike， the survivors - birds， turtles， crocodiles - shortly after， and early mammals in the hundreds of thousands to a millennium after。 The end of one era and the beginning of another。 “The mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous isn’t just the conclusion of the dinosaurs’ story， but a critical turning point in our own。 We wouldn’t exist without the obliterating smack of cosmic rock that plowed itself into the ancient Yucatán。 Both stories are present in that moment。 The rise and the fall are inextricable。” Life is tenacious， and extinction for some allows another to take the niche freed because， as we see， sometimes pure luck and happenstance equip some to deal with the end of the world as they know it just a bit better than the less lucky ones。 We ultimately are the benefactors of that one stray asteroid。 T。 rex and buddies were less lucky， those majestic doomed monsters。 So it goes。 “This is not a monument to loss。 This is an ode to resilience that can only be seen in the wake of catastrophe。” I liked it。 I liked the clear palpable love and enthusiasm Riley Black has for that period of history that ended so abruptly and brutally。 I liked how well she captures those imaginary points of view of different creatures。 I even liked the very long chapter notes where she explains things that were too much to put in the main narrative。 It’s very accessible and interesting and clearly a work of love。4 stars。 “No species is an island。 No species is a discrete and complete package by itself。 A species is an expression of the interaction between organisms in its environment。 […] Any organism is a node that is bound to and reliant on the others around it， whether there is any direct interaction between them or not。 The actions of even one organism affect others， which affect others still， entire unseen webs of possibility that pulsate through each vital moment—the thread of life itself。” ——————Also posted on my blog。 。。。more
Andrea Wenger
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This book provides a unique perspective on the K-Pg extinction。 It offers a sort of "day in the life" experience of individual animals before and after the impact event—what the world looked like in the late Cretaceous， the horrors of the devastation， and how life recovered。 It's a well-researched story of loss and hope， of how the worst day in the history of life on earth eventually led to the world as we know it。 Thanks， NetGalley， for the ARC I received。 This is my honest and voluntary review This book provides a unique perspective on the K-Pg extinction。 It offers a sort of "day in the life" experience of individual animals before and after the impact event—what the world looked like in the late Cretaceous， the horrors of the devastation， and how life recovered。 It's a well-researched story of loss and hope， of how the worst day in the history of life on earth eventually led to the world as we know it。 Thanks， NetGalley， for the ARC I received。 This is my honest and voluntary review。 。。。more
Kim Cabrera
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The Last Days of the Dinosaurs is a look at the great extinction event that led to the eventual rise of mammals。 The dinosaurs ruled the earth until the asteroid struck and caused a worldwide catastrophe。 This book tells the story from their perspective。 It’s an entertaining way to learn about dinosaurs。 I really never did much reading about dinosaurs before， so it was very interesting to me to see what transpired 66 million years ago。 The book shows dinosaurs of various species just going about The Last Days of the Dinosaurs is a look at the great extinction event that led to the eventual rise of mammals。 The dinosaurs ruled the earth until the asteroid struck and caused a worldwide catastrophe。 This book tells the story from their perspective。 It’s an entertaining way to learn about dinosaurs。 I really never did much reading about dinosaurs before， so it was very interesting to me to see what transpired 66 million years ago。 The book shows dinosaurs of various species just going about their day， doing things they did every day， when suddenly， a huge impact changed the planet forever。 The story begins on the day of the impact。 We watch several animals doing their normal routine。 Once the impact happens， the story switches to showing how various species reacted。 Some of them had to go to great lengths to survive until conditions improved。 Then， we check in again at various intervals until a million years after the impact。 It’s a great way to tell the story and allows the author to introduce us to many species along the way。 The last part of the book tells how the species were chosen and what their stories are。 Some of the archaeologic finds are explained。 The author tells us why some species have more depth to their background stories， etc。 （i。e。 there was more or better fossil evidence for some species。）All in all， a very entertaining look at dinosaurs and what caused their extinction， told in a storytelling format， as if you were sitting around a campfire listening to someone talk。 It is not overly heavy on scientific terms， so it is a book accessible to all audiences。 。。。more
Kayla
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3。5 stars This is a science book but it doesn’t read like a textbook！ There is a ton of information but I feel like it was given in a manageable way。 Following different animals as they experience the effects of the impact was a really interesting take。 I was most interested in the dinosaurs。 Once they were gone and the focus was on plants and small small creatures， my reading speed slowed。 I wish there were more visuals （reading from ARC）。 More maps and even drawn up images of the animals menti 3。5 stars This is a science book but it doesn’t read like a textbook！ There is a ton of information but I feel like it was given in a manageable way。 Following different animals as they experience the effects of the impact was a really interesting take。 I was most interested in the dinosaurs。 Once they were gone and the focus was on plants and small small creatures， my reading speed slowed。 I wish there were more visuals （reading from ARC）。 More maps and even drawn up images of the animals mentioned would have helped me out。 I really liked the conclusion- relating everything back to how it effects us as humans brought a personal touch。 *Jurassic Park references for the win！*⭐️ I have a background in Geology and spent time writing a paper on the evolution of the Tyranosaurous family。 Material was still understandable。 Special thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for this digital ARC。 。。。more
Sierra
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Riley Black is quite possibly the most influential name amongst queer aspiring paleontologists， so I was extremely excited to read this book。 As a paleontology student， I absolutely love studying mass extinctions， so my expectations couldn't have been higher。 I was super impressed by the whole book。 I thought the idea of writing from the animals' perspective could've easily gone wrong， but she struck exactly the right tone。 The pacing was great （although I expect that that others will care more Riley Black is quite possibly the most influential name amongst queer aspiring paleontologists， so I was extremely excited to read this book。 As a paleontology student， I absolutely love studying mass extinctions， so my expectations couldn't have been higher。 I was super impressed by the whole book。 I thought the idea of writing from the animals' perspective could've easily gone wrong， but she struck exactly the right tone。 The pacing was great （although I expect that that others will care more about the dinosaurs themselves and less about what came after）， and after reading the appendix， I think she struck the perfect balance between established facts and a little bit of guessing。 Also， I loved how readable the appendix was。 The conclusion focused more on the author's personal story， which I thought didn't work as well - I'd rather she write a whole memoir， and it didn't fit well into this book。ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Scott Gann
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Don’t waste your time it’s totally just speculation！ How can one 50 mile wound destroy everything？ Crazy！
Beth Wallace
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I received this book through a good reads giveaway。 It was an interesting book and had some good information for people who may not have researched or looked into the extinction。 I personally wasn’t a huge fan of the narration style however that’s just my own personal preference。
Charlene
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Great book！ Very interesting read。 I found so many answers to so many questions。 Loved it！
Annette
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This book is about an extinction level event that destroyed the dinosaurs。 I thought the book started out really good and interesting。 After about more than half way through it becomes boring。 The author talked about being transgender。 I’m not sure what that had to do with the dinosaur extinction。 It seemed a rather unnecessary inclusion。 For the most part I enjoyed the book。 I think maybe the author could have included a picture of the dinosaurs she was talking about。 It would have added to wha This book is about an extinction level event that destroyed the dinosaurs。 I thought the book started out really good and interesting。 After about more than half way through it becomes boring。 The author talked about being transgender。 I’m not sure what that had to do with the dinosaur extinction。 It seemed a rather unnecessary inclusion。 For the most part I enjoyed the book。 I think maybe the author could have included a picture of the dinosaurs she was talking about。 It would have added to what was happening。Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy 。。。more
Hunter Blackthorne
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I really wanted to love this。 Like many millennials， I grew up fascinated by creatures of the past- but especially dinosaurs。 I was expecting a deep dive into new （relative to when I was a child） discoveries and theories about the last days of the dinosaurs， but instead I was given a so-so storytelling from the animals' perspective， which came off as childish to me。 This book is better suited for someone with no prior knowledge。 I really wanted to love this。 Like many millennials， I grew up fascinated by creatures of the past- but especially dinosaurs。 I was expecting a deep dive into new （relative to when I was a child） discoveries and theories about the last days of the dinosaurs， but instead I was given a so-so storytelling from the animals' perspective， which came off as childish to me。 This book is better suited for someone with no prior knowledge。 。。。more
D
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The title is misleading and should be "The Last DAY of the Dinosaurs， and much of the time after" as the book delves far deeper into what happened after the extinction event than before it。 The author's method of describing the world through the dinosaur's eyes was interesting， but the unnecessary inclusion of foul language was unnecessary。 I probably sound like a Karen but it just seemed like it was pandering to a younger audience （of which I am a member）。 Otherwise， an interesting read。 The title is misleading and should be "The Last DAY of the Dinosaurs， and much of the time after" as the book delves far deeper into what happened after the extinction event than before it。 The author's method of describing the world through the dinosaur's eyes was interesting， but the unnecessary inclusion of foul language was unnecessary。 I probably sound like a Karen but it just seemed like it was pandering to a younger audience （of which I am a member）。 Otherwise， an interesting read。 。。。more
Norma
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Interesting。
Jennifer
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When I saw the topic of this book， I thought it would be fascinating–and it was。 Usually the story of the dinosaurs and the impact that erased them from the Earth ends that one fateful day。 But this book explores what happened after。 I liked how the chapters are certain periods of time after the event。It’s a compelling read。 The author makes you feel like you’re right there with the dinosaurs and the animals and plants that come after。 She does a great job of bringing them to life。 If your idea When I saw the topic of this book， I thought it would be fascinating–and it was。 Usually the story of the dinosaurs and the impact that erased them from the Earth ends that one fateful day。 But this book explores what happened after。 I liked how the chapters are certain periods of time after the event。It’s a compelling read。 The author makes you feel like you’re right there with the dinosaurs and the animals and plants that come after。 She does a great job of bringing them to life。 If your idea of a non-fiction book is dry and boring， this isn’t it。 In the end， it’s a story about the resilience of life。 It wasn’t just non-avian dinosaurs that were doomed that day。 All life on our planet was pushed to the brink。 But it paved the way for the rise of mammals， and us。 There’s a significant appendix in the back if you want a deep dive into the nitty gritty。 I enjoyed this book immensely， enough to seek out more of her writing。 Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for my copy。 。。。more
Steve
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I enjoyed many aspects of this book。 The topic is fascinating and the chronological structure is interesting。 Some of the wording is very clever and there is some humor in the book。 The best aspect of the book is discussing topics from the animal’s point of view， sort of like an animal diary。 However I found the attempts at literary writing interfered with the rhythm of my reading。 I also found the conclusions and personal ruminations far too long。 I did not find that I had developed a relations I enjoyed many aspects of this book。 The topic is fascinating and the chronological structure is interesting。 Some of the wording is very clever and there is some humor in the book。 The best aspect of the book is discussing topics from the animal’s point of view， sort of like an animal diary。 However I found the attempts at literary writing interfered with the rhythm of my reading。 I also found the conclusions and personal ruminations far too long。 I did not find that I had developed a relationship with the writer， as I have in many other non-fiction books， and hence the personal thoughts at the end did not resonate with me。 Overall though， this is a book well worth reading。 Thank you to Netgalley and St。 Martin's Press for the advance reader copy。 。。。more
Audrey Lawrence
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I thoroughly enjoyed this "go back back in time" book and really wished I had access to it when teaching science in school as the author Riley Black certainly knows how to make the Cretaceous period come alive。Riley's writing style is very clear and immediately pulls the reader into how the dinosaurs， both building size huge and smaller ones， foraged for food， dealt with parasites， interacted with each other in a land that suited their needs。 While it is written as a book for adults， I am sure I thoroughly enjoyed this "go back back in time" book and really wished I had access to it when teaching science in school as the author Riley Black certainly knows how to make the Cretaceous period come alive。Riley's writing style is very clear and immediately pulls the reader into how the dinosaurs， both building size huge and smaller ones， foraged for food， dealt with parasites， interacted with each other in a land that suited their needs。 While it is written as a book for adults， I am sure even older elementary school kids who love dinosaurs will be able to read and learn from this amazing account of how they lived and what lead to their demise。 It is an awesome and fantastic story！NB I did win the book from Goodreads; however， that has no bearing on my review。 。。。more
Matthew Rochte
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Fun and interesting take on dinosaurian history。 So much of what has been written about the demise of the dinosaurs focuses on the meteor and the nuclear winter that followed。 This science based story follows the pattern of the book "Life After People" （ later adapted for the History Channel） with chapter break down of 1 week before， 1 day before， 1 hour before impact， followed by hour，day， week， month， year， 100 years， 1000 yrs， 1million years， present day。 The only part that disappointed me wa Fun and interesting take on dinosaurian history。 So much of what has been written about the demise of the dinosaurs focuses on the meteor and the nuclear winter that followed。 This science based story follows the pattern of the book "Life After People" （ later adapted for the History Channel） with chapter break down of 1 week before， 1 day before， 1 hour before impact， followed by hour，day， week， month， year， 100 years， 1000 yrs， 1million years， present day。 The only part that disappointed me was the present day segment which just didn't flow for me。 That brought my rating from 5 to4。 As I read a prerelease copy the book may change before publishing。 Over all An enjoyable read accessible for most ages。 。。。more
Glen
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I won this book in a goodreads drawing。A wonderful book that tells the story of how dinosaurs went extinct after the asteroid hit。 Not only are the scientific facts covered， but there are vignettes that tell the story from the perspective of various creatures。 Highly recommended。
Kurt
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