Oklahoma meteor crater found to be nearly 100 million years younger

Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have revealed that a meteor impact in Ames, Oklahoma, occurred nearly 100 million years later than previously thought. The previously estimated age of the impact site, around 467.5 million years old, now appears to be about 370 million years old. This discovery places the Ames impact during the Frasnian-Famennian mass extinction, which marked a significant period of extinction among marine life 372 million years ago.

Previously, the impact's age was determined based on fossil evidence, specifically the teeth of an ancient eel-like creature called a conodont, which were found in the rock but may have been fossilized millions of years prior to the meteor strike. By utilizing zircon crystal dating, researchers from UT discovered that the Ames meteor impact aligns better with the Frasnian-Famennian extinction rather than the Ordovician Meteor Event.

This breakthrough allows for a more accurate timeline of significant events in Earth's history, including the role of extraterrestrial forces in mass extinctions.