Dino-killing asteroid may have fueled underground life for 8 million years

[00:00:00]The asteroid [music] that wiped out the dinosaurs didn't just destroy.

[00:00:04]New research suggests [music] it also created a hidden underground habitat that nurtured life for up to 8 million years.

[00:00:11]The impact shattered [music] rock deep beneath the Chicxulub crater, opening cracks where heated water circulated, [music] providing energy and nutrients for microbial communities.

[00:00:20]Scientists [music] previously thought this hydrothermal system faded quickly, but new models indicate it persisted much longer, possibly fueling early organisms that could survive [music] extreme conditions.

[00:00:32]This prolonged underground oasis may have even helped life rebound after the mass extinction. [music] Please subscribe for more daily science content.