Compounding this darkness and cold was the acidification of the world's oceans. Ammonites, which relied on building and maintaining their intricate calcium carbonate shells, would have been exceptionally vulnerable to this acidification.
Why Ammonites Couldn't Survive Impact Winter
Ammonites released vast numbers of tiny, free-floating larvae called "aptychi" into the water column. The impact would have vaporized sulfate-rich rocks, releasing massive quantities of sulfur dioxide into the air.
Their mode of reproduction and development played a critical role. The most widely accepted cause is the impact of a massive asteroid or comet, approximately 10 to 15 kilometers in diameter, which struck the Earth near what is now the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.
Why Ammonites Didn't Survive the Impact Winter
Their reliance on a healthy, sunlit ocean made them a canary in the coal mine, and they perished as the ecosystem they dominated collapsed. " Dust and soot ejected high into the atmosphere would have blocked sunlight for months, if not years, bringing photosynthesis to a grinding halt.
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