Large Body Size: Larger organisms require more resources, making them more susceptible to food shortages and environmental disruptions during times of crisis.
Specialized Diets: Species that relied on a narrow range of food sources, including specific plants or prey, were vulnerable if these resources became depleted or unavailable after the asteroid impact.
Habitat Specificity: Organisms confined to specific habitats, such as certain environments within the shallow marine ecosystem, were particularly susceptible if those habitats were disrupted by the impact's aftermath.
Low Reproductive Rates: Species that had slow population growth or reproduction rates were less able to recover from the rapid changes associated with the mass extinction event.
Limited Mobility: Organisms that were unable to migrate to new environments when their original habitats became inhospitable would have been more vulnerable to the extinction crisis.
Lack of Adaptation to Environmental Changes: Species that were not capable of adapting to the changed environmental conditions following the impact, such as sudden temperature shifts, were more likely to perish.
Sensitivity to Disruptions in the Food Chain: Many organisms were indirectly affected by the disruptions caused by the impact. If a species relied on other organisms for food or other essential resources, their survival could be threatened by the loss or abundance of those organisms.
Inability to Tolerate Environmental Extremes: Sudden and severe changes in environmental conditions, including extreme temperature fluctuations, acid rain, or other hazardous conditions, could be fatal to organisms that were not adapted to withstand such changes.
Geographic Distribution: Species with restricted geographic ranges were more vulnerable if their habitats were severely affected by the impact and its consequences, while species with broader distributions had a better chance of finding suitable conditions elsewhere.
Dependence on Environmental Stability: Organisms that were highly sensitive to environmental fluctuations, such as those associated with climate change or ecosystem disruptions, were more at risk of extinction during periods of significant environmental change.