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5
the first mass extinction
444 million years ago
Ordovician Extinction
a massive glacier caused a huge build-up of water.
corals, shelled brachiopods, eel-like creatures called conodonts, and trilobites. -
Period: 10 to 15
the second mass extinction
389-359 million years ago
Late Devonian Extinction
High levels of lead, arsenic, and iron which was caused by an oceanic volcanism
shelled brachiopods, eel-like creatures called conodonts, the trilobites, and ancient shelled relatives of squid and octopuses called goniatites -
Period: 20 to 25
the third mass extinction
252 million years ago
Permian-triassic Extinction
the Siberian traps, which are an immense volcanic complex
Only 5% of the population of life on Earth survived and 95% perished from massive drought, lack of oxygen and acid rain -
Period: 30 to 35
the fourth mass extinction
201 million years ago
Late Triassic Extinction
volcanic eruptions and asteroid impacts led to insurmountable climate change
Around 80% of living creatures, including reptiles died and dinosaurs, with some 20% of the animals that became extinct sea-based lifeforms. -
Period: 40 to 45
the fifth mass extinction
66 million years ago
Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction.
a huge asteroid hit earth
Some 76 percent of all species on the planet, including all nonavian dinosaurs, -
50
the sixth mass extinction
2022 and forward
climate change
extinction threatens up to a million species of plants and animals