An Extinction in the Blink of an Eye

[ScienceRocks]

An Extinction in the Blink of an Eye

An Extinction in the Blink of an Eye

The largest mass extinction in the history of animal life occurred some 252 million years ago, wiping out more than 96 percent of marine species and 70 percent of life on land — including the largest insects known to have inhabited the Earth.

Multiple theories have aimed to explain the cause of what’s now known as the end-Permian extinction, including an asteroid impact, massive volcanic eruptions, or a cataclysmic cascade of environmental events. But pinpointing the cause of the extinction requires better measurements of how long the extinction period lasted.

Now researchers at MIT have determined that the end-Permian extinction occurred over 60,000 years, give or take 48,000 years — practically instantaneous, from a geologic perspective. The new timescale is based on more precise dating techniques, and indicates that the most severe extinction in history may have happened more than 10 times faster than scientists had previously thought.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

...because of Global Warming

 

[ScienceRocks]

...because of Global Warming

Are you the least bit interested in what caused the extinctions?

 

[CrusaderFrank]

...because of Global Warming

Are you the least bit interested in what caused the extinctions?

Probably a big asteroid that then set off a super volcano or two

 

[Abraham3]

...because of Global Warming

Are you the least bit interested in what caused the extinctions?

Probably a big asteroid that then set off a super volcano or two

Examine your own postings, Frank, and those of your denier friends. One of your favorite tactics in these arguments is to bring up past events and trends that you intend to show two things: it has all happened before and life went on.

But when you start discussing something that shows life DIDN'T just go on as before, the avoidance is quite discernible.