By CHRISTINA LARSON, Associated Press

Scientists have long debated whether dinosaurs were in decline before an asteroid smacked the Earth 66 million years ago, causing mass extinction .

New research suggests dinosaur populations were still thriving in North America before the asteroid strike , but it’s only one piece of the global picture, independent experts say.

“Dinosaurs were quite diverse and now we know there were quite distinct communities” roaming around before being abruptly wiped out , said Daniel Peppe, a study co-author and paleontologist at Baylor University.

In this photo provided by researchers, Caitlin Leslie collects paleomagnetic samples in the San Juan Basin of northwestern New Mexico in May 2016. (Daniel J. Peppe via AP)

The latest evidence comes from analy

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