Dinosaurs and apocalyptic species

One of the best things about homeschooling is the opportunity to learn and learn and learn. My two boys guide me into areas I never would travel alone as an adult: Sherwood Forest and Robin Hood (replete with homemade bow and arrow); elaborate make-believe involving Harry Potter and panther hunting; and of course, the classic childhood fascination with dinosaurs.

There were way more types of dinosaurs than I ever remember learning about, such as Yangchuanosaurus and Edmontosaurus, two carnosaurs (relatives of T. Rex and remarkably similar) discovered in China and Canada. Dinosaurs were alive for much longer than I ever realized--by comparison humans have been on earth for a mere few seconds compared to the eons during which the dinosaurs evolved, lived, and died.

Of course in the course of our reading we have discussed the mass extinction of the dinosaurs which happened 65 million years ago. The latest theories on this involve a giant asteroid striking the earth and triggering massive, sudden climactic changes that caused species to die in droves.

There is a lot of evidence to prove this theory, and I am not a scientist, but what if this was not the whole story? Humans have been on earth for barely any time at all, and in the last hundred and fifty years may have triggered a massive, sudden (in geologic terms) climate shift, as well as environmental destruction and over-hunting and over-foresting. These shifts have over a very short period of time caused directly and indirectly the greatest mass extinction since the death of most of the dinosaurs. We may also wipe out ourselves in the process, leaving us as a relatively short-lived species on earth, a mere blip on the evolutionary screen.

Humans are what I call an apocalyptic species--a species that is directly and indirectly responsible for killing off hundreds if not thousands of other species. What if such a species were responsible for knocking off the dinosaurs?

I'm sure I'm not the first person to consider this and I invite anyone who has leads to research on this topic to please write me and point me in the right direction! I'll be reading dinosaur books with my four-year-old.