How Did Mass Extinctions Like Dinosaur's Death Shape Earth’s History? Here Are 5 Examples

For the past 10,000 years, Earth has been at the forefront of the extinction crisis rapidly eradicating animals worldwide. Scientists define mass extinction in The Conversation as the extinction of three-quarters of all animals within a minimum geological time frame of fewer than 2.8 million years.

Species became extinct regularly. According to the American Museum of Natural History, scientists estimate that at least 99.9% of the plant and animal species that have ever existed are now extinct. Just a few times in the history of this world have mass extinctions arisen, in which at least half of all animals perish in a brief time. The five mass extinction events are listed below.

K-Pg Extinction (~ 66 million years ago)

Extinct species: 75%

The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction, also known as "the day the dinosaurs died," is the most well-known of all mass extinction events. The occurrence is often referred to as the K-T extinction. Still, geologists refer to it as the "K-Pg extinction" since the letter "C" is shorthand for the Cambrian geological epoch. Discover Magazine said the letter "K" derives from the German word "Kreide," which means "Cretaceous."

Triassic-Jurassic Extinction (~ 201 million years ago)

Extinct species: 80%

The Triassic era saw the emergence of new and diverse life forms, including dinosaurs. Unfortunately, several volcanoes erupted at the same time. scientists believe, per MIT News, that major seismic activity occurred in areas of the planet currently submerged by the Atlantic Ocean.

Permian-Triassic Extinction (~ 253 million years ago)

Species that were extinct: 70% terrestrial life; 96% marine life

Washington Post said this extinction event, known as the "Great Dying," is the most severe the planet has ever seen. It wiped out 90 percent of all animals on the planet, including amphibians, birds, and snakes, that ventured into territory. Live Science mentioned that a time of unchecked volcanism contributed to this catastrophic incident.

Late Devonian Extinction (~ 365 million years ago)

Extinct species: 75%

The Devonian era, also known as the "age of fish," saw the rise and decline of most prehistoric marine species. Although animals had begun to develop on land by this period, most lives swam across the seas. A study titled "Late Devonian Oceanic Anoxic Events and Biotic Crises: "Rooted" in the Evolution of Vascular Land Plants" claimed that vascular plants, like trees and flowers, possibly caused a second mass extinction.

Ordovician-Silurian Extinction (~ 440 million years ago)

Extinct species: 85%

The first mass extinction on Earth occurred when species such as corals and shelled brachiopods were found all over the world's shallow waters but had not yet made their way to shore. A study titled "Rapid Emergence of Life Shown by Discovery of 3,700-Million-Year-Old Microbial Structures" claimed that life started to advance and diversify around 3.7 billion years ago when these creatures appeared first. However, about 440 million years ago, a climatic shift caused sea levels to rise, resulting in the extinction of most marine species.

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