What key piece of evidence forced scientists to evolve theories beyond the simple glancing blow model?
Answer
The Moon shares a surprisingly similar isotopic signature with Earth’s mantle.
The near-identical stable isotope ratios found on the Moon and Earth's mantle suggest that a substantial portion of the Moon originated from Earth itself, necessitating a more thorough mixing than a shallow glancing blow would produce.

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What was Theia like? - YouTube
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