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Mass Extinctions
Significant events in Earth's history characterized by a rapid and substantial decrease in biodiversity over a short period of time.
K-T mass extinction
An extinction event approximately 66 million years ago where about 75% of species, including dinosaurs, went extinct, leading to the rise of mammals.
Biological causes
Factors related to living organisms that can lead to mass extinctions, such as the release of oxygen by early photosynthesizers.
Extraterrestrial events
Events from space that can cause mass extinctions, such as asteroid impacts or nearby supernovae.
Ordovician-Silurian extinction event
The third largest mass extinction event, occurring about 444 million years ago, affecting marine life.
Permian-Triassic extinction event
The largest known mass extinction, occurring around 251 million years ago, resulting in the loss of around 96% of marine species.
Triassic-Jurassic extinction event
An extinction event 200 million years ago where approximately 50% of species went extinct, paving the way for dinosaur dominance.
Chicxulub Crater
The impact site of an asteroid believed to have caused the K-T mass extinction event.
Quaternary extinction
A period involving the major extinction of megafauna across continents, influenced by climate change and human activities.
Gamma-ray burst (GRB)
A highly energetic explosion that can strip away the ozone layer and potentially cause mass extinction.
Wolf-Rayet 104
A binary star system that is a potential candidate for producing a gamma-ray burst, which could impact Earth.
Shoemaker-Levy 9
A comet that famously impacted Jupiter in 1994, demonstrating the potential for comet impacts in the solar system.
Tunguska event
A 1908 explosion in Siberia caused by the airburst of a small asteroid or comet, resulting in widespread destruction.
Chelyabinsk event
A 2013 meteor event in Russia that injured over 1,500 people, demonstrating the potential hazards of near-Earth objects.
Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI)
A scale used to measure the explosiveness of volcanic eruptions, with significant implications for global climate.
Bering Strait
A narrow passage of water between Alaska and Russia, significant for understanding the spread of species and extinction dynamics.
Siberian traps
A large area of volcanic rock in Siberia, associated with the largest volcanic eruptions and the Permian extinction.
Gamma-ray burst impact
Refers to the potential catastrophic effects on Earth's atmosphere caused by nearby stellar explosions.
Climatic bottleneck
A sharp reduction in population sizes of species due to environmental changes or catastrophic events.
Supervolcanoes
Massive volcanic systems capable of producing enormous eruptions that can affect climate and cause mass extinctions.
Asteroid/comet impact
The collision of celestial bodies with Earth, a significant cause of mass extinction events throughout history.
Humans as a driver of extinction
The role of human activities, such as hunting and habitat destruction, in leading to the extinction of large animal species.
Impact events
Occurrences where celestial bodies collide with Earth, which can lead to significant environmental and biological changes.
