An endangered species is a type of organism (631)_____ is threatened by extinction. Species become endangered for the main reason. loss of habitat. A loss of habitat can happen naturally. Dinosaurs, (632) _____, lost their habitat about 65 million years ago. The hot, dry climate of the Cretaceous period changed very quickly, most likely because of an asteroid (633) _____ the Earth. The impact of the asteroid forced debris into the atmosphere, reducing the amount of heat and light that reached Earth’s surface. The dinosaurs were unable to adapt to this new, cooler habitat. Dinosaurs became endangered, then extinct.

Human activity can also contribute to a loss of habitat. Development for housing, industry, and agriculture reduces the habitat of native organisms. This can happen in (634)_____ different ways.

Development can eliminate habitat and native species directly. In the Amazon rain forest of South America, developers have cleared hundreds of thousands of acres. To “clear” a piece of land is to remove all trees and (635)_____ from it. The Amazon rain forest is cleared for cattle ranches, logging, and urban use.

Adapted from https.//education.nationalgeographic.org

The hot, dry climate of the Cretaceous period changed very quickly, most likely because of an asteroid (633) _____ the Earth.