Giant mass extinction quicker than previously thought: End-Permian extinction happened in 60,000 years
Tuesday, February 11, 2014 - 05:30
in Paleontology & Archaeology
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 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. The end-Permian extinction happened in 60,000 years -- much faster than earlier estimates, according to new research.