Permian-Triassic mass extinction. Consequences on Earth’s system

Asked by: Derreck Phutane

How did the Permian extinction affect the Earth?

The Permian extinction was characterized by the elimination of over 95 percent of marine and 70 percent of terrestrial species. In addition, over half of all taxonomic families present at the time disappeared. This event ranks first in severity of the five major extinction episodes that span geologic time.

How did the Permian Triassic mass extinction affect the evolution of life?

The end-Permian event wiped out many of the groups which dominated life on land at the time. By doing so, it freed up ecological niches and allowed new groups to evolve, including the earliest dinosaurs, crocodiles and relatives of mammals and lizards.

What was the effect of the end of Permian extinction?

The end-Permian mass extinction, which took place 251.9 million years ago, killed off more than 96 percent of the planet’s marine species and 70 percent of its terrestrial life—a global annihilation that marked the end of the Permian Period.

What happened as Earth moved from the Permian to the Triassic period?

Of the five or so mass extinctions recorded in Earth’s fossils, this one at the end of the Permian period and the start of the Triassic was the most catastrophic. More than half of the families of living things died out, and as many as 90 to 96 percent of the planet’s marine species were lost.

Why is the Permian extinction so important?

The end-Permian mass extinction is considered to be the most devastating biotic event in the history of life on Earth – it caused dramatic losses in global biodiversity, both in water and on land. About 90% of marine and 70% of terrestrial (land) species went extinct.

How hot was Earth during the Permian extinction?

At the time of the event, higher-latitude temperatures were 18°F to 54°F (10°C to 30°C) warmer than today, and extensive volcanic activity had released large amounts of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere over a 700,000-year period.

What effects have mass extinctions had on the history of life?

Mass extinctions generally result in the loss of biodiversity and the disruption of ecological communities. However, rapid periods of diversity increase often occur immediately after mass extinctions, resulting in new evolutionary and ecological pathways. These new pathways came about through innovation.

What extinction event has the greatest impact in the diversity of species on Earth explain?

Permian-triassic Extinction: 250 million years ago



The largest mass extinction event in Earth’s history affected a range of species, including many vertebrates.

What animals were affected by the Permian Triassic extinction?

Many families of brachiopods, gastropods, bivalves, and marine reptiles also became extinct. On land a great part of the vertebrate fauna disappeared at the end of the Triassic, although the dinosaurs, pterosaurs, crocodiles, turtles, mammals, and fishes were little affected by the transition.

How long did it take the Earth to recover from past mass extinctions?

10 million years

Overall, it took 10 million years for species numbers to fully recover to previous levels. This study highlights the extensive long-term risks posed by diversity loss which may result in highly unstable communities, loss of important ecosystem functions and long timescales of recovery.

What was the worst extinction event?

Permian-Triassic extinction

Permian-Triassic extinction: ~ 253 million years ago



This extinction event, often referred to as the “Great Dying (opens in new tab),” is the largest to ever hit Earth. It wiped out some 90% of all the planet’s species and decimated the reptiles, insects and amphibians that roamed on land.

What survived the end Permian extinction?

Two groups of animals survived the Permian extinction: Therapsids, which were mammal-like reptiles, and the more reptilian archosaurs. In the early Triassic, it appeared that the therapsids would dominate the new era.

What can we learn from the Permian extinction?

Available evidence (mostly on marine invertebrates) indicates that, following the Permian-Triassic extinction, it took 7-10 millions of years for life to start re-establishing pre-extinction levels of diversity and occupation of ecological space.

What was the Earth like during the Permian period?

During the Permian Period, Earth’s crustal plates formed a single, massive continent called Pangaea. In the correspondingly large ocean, Panthalassa, marine organisms such as brachiopods, gastropods, cephalopods (nautiloids and ammonoids), and crinoids were present. On land, reptiles replaced amphibians in abundance.

What did Earth look like during the Permian period?

The Permian period, which ended in the largest mass extinction the Earth has ever known, began about 299 million years ago. The emerging supercontinent of Pangaea presented severe extremes of climate and environment due to its vast size. The south was cold and arid, with much of the region frozen under ice caps.

What was the Earth like during the Permian Period?

During the Permian Period, Earth’s crustal plates formed a single, massive continent called Pangaea. In the correspondingly large ocean, Panthalassa, marine organisms such as brachiopods, gastropods, cephalopods (nautiloids and ammonoids), and crinoids were present. On land, reptiles replaced amphibians in abundance.

What did Earth look like during the Permian Period?

The Permian period, which ended in the largest mass extinction the Earth has ever known, began about 299 million years ago. The emerging supercontinent of Pangaea presented severe extremes of climate and environment due to its vast size. The south was cold and arid, with much of the region frozen under ice caps.

What was the great dying that almost wiped out life on Earth 252 million years ago?

Permian-Triassic Extinction

252 Million Years Ago: Permian-Triassic Extinction



The Permian-Triassic extinction killed off so much of life on Earth that it is also known as the Great Dying. Marine invertebrates were particularly hard hit by this extinction, especially trilobites, which were finally killed off entirely.

What was Earth’s climate during the Permian Period?

At the beginning of the period, glaciation was widespread, and latitudinal climatic belts were strongly developed. Climate warmed throughout the Permian times, and, by the end of the period, hot and dry conditions were so extensive that they caused a crisis in Permian marine and terrestrial life.

What caused global warming in Permian?

The drivers of the Permian mass extinction — volcanic CO2 emissions into the atmosphere leading to global warming — are analogous to human-caused CO2 emissions occurring today, Penn noted. “These results allow us to compare the scale of our modern problem to the largest extinction in Earth’s history,” he told Mongabay.

What made up Earth’s atmosphere during the Permian period?

The atmospheric composition of the world during the Permian period was variable. It started with an atmosphere which was about 30% oxygen 70% nitrogen and it ended with an atmosphere which was about 12-15% oxygen and 85% nitrogen.