Scientists have obtained new evidence that about 12 900 years ago crashed to Earth kind of celestial body, destroying the megafauna of North America, and provoking the period of a strong cold snap.

Microspheres from various locations in the USA (the image of the authors).

The hypothesis about such impact is old, but it is complicated by the absence of the simple proofs of the crater. Fortunately, the crash site may be proved by the shock sphere and nanodiamonds.

In 2007, for the first time it was reported that these objects found in the layers of sediment statutory age at several places. A new study has confirmed the fact of detection.

A group of scientists headed by Malcolm Lecompton from North Carolina state University in Elizabeth city (USA) analyzed the samples of sediments from three different points of the United States: Blackwater Draw (new Mexico), topper (South Carolina) and On Cove (Maryland). According to the researchers, they found microscopic balls in the same layers.

It should be noted that the hypothesis hit the comet in the ice fields of Eastern Canada explains not only the local extinction of animals in the late Pleistocene (ordered long to live three quarters of megafauna North America), but the disappearance of the Clovis culture, representatives of which just managed to migrate to the continent, and actively mastered, judging by the finds of stone tools.

Therefore, special attention was paid to the layers containing artifacts of this culture. Scientists assumed that if one is not the most beautiful day fell from the sky stones, the artifacts were supposed to play the role of a shield, not allowing them to penetrate into the deeper layers. And indeed, over the artifacts discovered in 30 times more balls than under them.

The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Prepared according to LiveScience.