Several dinosaur species were wiped out during a wave of intense climate change triggered by volcanic eruptions 150,000 years before a devastating asteroid struck the planet, according to a new reconstruction.

      The research suggests that global temperatures soared as huge quantities of carbon dioxide gas were released from India’s Deccan Traps volcanic region. Ten of 24 species found on one Antarctic island were wiped out.

      While both the eruptions and asteroid strike ejected ash and dust that caused short-term Sun-blocking, the cooling period was short-lived. Greenhouse gases released in the process created significant warming episodes that would ultimately lead to the demise of dinosaurs, according to the research.

       The extinction was the second biggest in the history of the planet, killing nearly half of all life, including every non-avian dinosaur, and leading to the rise of the mammals.

       It’s believed that the currently ice-covered continent was then covered by coniferous forest.

      Ocean temperatures rose about 7.8C after the volcanic eruptions emitted poisonous gases into the atmosphere.

       The cause of the so-called Cretaceous-Palaegene mass extinction has long been debated.

       Some scientists believe it was solely a result of the impact, some volcanism, while others consider it a combination of the two.

       Several recent studies indicate eruptions that occurred before the crash are partly responsible.

       Scientists now believe that human caused global warming could cause the sixth mass extinction event in half a billion years.