The Permian Mass Extinction
Introduction:
Throughout history our world has undergone and experienced all sorts of changes that have shaped the world into what we see it today. The most significant events included disasters like the extinctions of organisms. Out of all the extinctions, the most influential was the Permian Mass Extinction. During the Paleozoic era roughly eighty five percent of living species died and became extinct due to the Permian mass extinction. This illustrates how severe an event like the Permian mass extinction actually was. With such a prodigious magnitude, it’s important to note the consequences and results that aroused. In this case the most devastating consequence was its influence and alternation on the history of life. In addition, it is crucial to see the factors responsible for causing such immense extinctions, ultimately leading to what we call the Permian Mass Extinction.
Effects/Outcomes:
The Permian Mass Extinction is hands down the most destructive mass extinctions of all time. However, with great destruction comes great results. Towards the end of the Permian was when the extinction hit the hardest. At this time nearly ninety percent of marine species and roughly seventy percent of terrestrial vertebrates became extinct. As a result, many organisms and creatures suffered. The first mass extinction involved the obliteration of the organic reef community. The second big extinction consisted the removal of about seventy-five percent of the fusulinid foraminifer’s genera. Of the fusulinid organisms, the only ones to be removed were species that had diverse wall features, and ones who were longer than a quarter of an inch. Within the foraminifera there was most likely symbiotic algae that lived...
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...t a doubt one of the most influential events that has affected the history of life. The extinction portrays all sorts of outcomes and consequences. It depicts how it is affected and altered organisms and species lifestyles. In most cases these changes caused by the Permian extinction typically hurt the species. However, there were some animals that benefited from the enormous disaster. We see this through many examples such as: fusulinids, cephalopods, trilobites, corals, and therapsids. Asides from noticing the effects of the Permian Mass Extinction, it’s also crucial to observe the causes. Although the actual source of death still remains unknown, we do get a sense of understanding the factors associated with the Permian crises. The major influences as it seems to be, most likely come from the effects of global warming and the Siberian Traps of volcanic eruptions.
In this paper Martin is arguing that late quaternary or near time extinctions where caused by human activity or as he calls it “overkill”. Martin recognizes that there have been many forces that have triggered extinctions in the planet on the past but disagrees with the idea that near time extinctions where caused by some commonly believed causes like climate change, disease or nutrient shortage. He argues that the arrival of humans to different continents, islands and the subsequent excessive hunting, the introduction of diseases and other competitors and predators was the cause of extinction of a great number of species “As our species spread to various continents we wiped out their large
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The eradication of species numbers average at a toll close to one hundred percent of earths total living creatures. “It is the Earth's most severe known extinction event, with up to 96% of all marine species and 70% of terrestrial vertebrate species becoming extinct” (Sahney, and Benton 759). Not only where marine and terrestrial species effected but this catastrophic event is the only recogni...
...nder, C., Tsai, C., Wu, P., Speer, B. R., Rieboldt, S., & Smith, D. (1998/1999/2002). The permian period. Informally published manuscript, Biology 1B project for Section 115, University of California Museum of Paleontology, CA, Retrieved from http://www.ucmp.berkely.edu/permian/permian.php
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Modern-day genetic technology has granted mankind with the opportunity to bring back extinct species from the dead. If humans have come to possess the DNA from an extinct animal population, it is possible to create an identical clone of the animal in question, effectively “bringing it back from the dead”. Many ethical dilemmas surround the practice of de-extinction, and rightfully so. Recreating an extinct species could produce groundbreaking scientific breakthroughs, generating exciting opportunities for future genetics-based research. However, there could also be monumental consequences: the newly revived, once-extinct species might destroy the ecological equilibrium of modern Earth
The most significant event of the Cretaceous era came at its end. Nearly 65 million years ago, the second most severe mass extinction in earth’s history occurred. This resulted in the loss of around 80% of species living at the time. Though nowhere near as severe as the end-Permian mass extinction, the end-Cretaceous extinction is the most well known mass extinction event. This is due to the violent event that caused it the extinction, as well as the chapter of earth’s history that it closed: the Dinosaurs. The Cretaceous Event ( often shortened to K-T event) Of the animals that were killed off were the flying reptiles (pterosaurs) and the last few mosasaurs and plesiosaurs, both early marine reptiles. Many mollusks and species of microscopic plankton were killed. Terrestrial plants suffered mass extinction as well. Almost 60% of terrestrial plants were lost. This led to high extinction rates among insect populations, especially insects that were highly specialized to feed on just a few types of plants had it the worst. It took approximately 9 million years for the global insect populations to recover from the Cretaceous extinction. Immediately after the extinction, the earth saw an explosion of short term species who respond well to fire, or other external disturbance. Evidence of the catastrophe comes from a thin rock layer deposited worldwide just after the impact. It is dominated by fossil plants whose descendants recover quickly after fires of other disturbances, such as Fire Weed in Alaska. The causes of the Cretaceous extinction are still being debated by paleontologists. Scientists agree that the main cause of the extinction was a...
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With its abundance of genera, the Burgess Shale is one of the world’s most important fossil fields. It’s discovery in 1909 led to over 100 years of paleontological study in the Canadian Rockies, a majority of which has been carried out in two quarries known as the Walcott and Raymond quarries (Hagadorn, 2002). Though he was originally in search of trilobites in the Burgess Shale Formation, paleontologist Charles Walcott also discovered a diverse group of soft- and hard-bodied fossils, from algae and sponges to chordates and cirripeds (Hagadorn, 2002). Soft-bodied fossils are incredibly rare due to their delicate structure and susceptibility to decay, so it is hard-bodied fossils that more regularly occur in fossil findings. However over 75,000 soft-bodied specimens have been found in the Burgess Shale formation (Hagadorn, 2002). These specimens are preserved in layers of shale formed from deposits of fine mud. One of the most significant species discovered is the Pikaia gracilens. Believed to be an early chordate, the Pikaia gracilens existed very close to the beginning of the evolutionary path that ultimately lead to humans (McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia, 2006).
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nuclei was then inactivated and substituted with dead nuclei from the extinct frog. Some eggs started to grow and divide to early embryo stage (a tiny ball of m...
Because the CO2 levels are rising, the ice caps are melting and many more animals can become extinct. When pangea started splitting, there was a lot of volcanic activity, which cause the death of many dinosaurs. A meteor also hit earth and the mass extinction of many land and marine animals happened. There have been five mass extinctions in Earth’s history. The worst one wiped out ninety-six percent of marine life and seventy percent of land organisms. This took millions of years to recover.