Dinosaur-killing meteor 'likely to have come from beyond Jupiter'

When a massive space rock slammed into Earth 66m years ago, it wiped out huge swathes of life and ended the reign of the dinosaurs.

- Nicola Davis

Now scientists say they have new insights into what it was made from.

Experts studying material laid down at the time of the event say they have found tell-tale signs to support the idea the Chicxulub impact crater was produced by a carbon-rich, "C-type", asteroid that originally formed beyond the orbit of Jupiter.

Mario Fischer-Gödde, co-author of the research from the University of Cologne, said the team are now keen to look at deposits associated with another impact some suggest was behind a large extinction about 215m years ago.