End-Ordovician Extinction
A severe ice age and changing sea levels removed many marine habitats, causing large losses among ocean invertebrates.
- Mostly marine impact
- Linked to rapid climate cooling
Geological History
A Timeline of Earth's Great Extinction Events
Earth has experienced repeated biodiversity crises. The five major mass extinctions reshaped life and created new evolutionary paths, while modern human-driven pressure now threatens a new wave of losses.
Mass Extinctions
Five Global Turning Points
Use the filters to focus on Paleozoic or Mesozoic events. On desktop, the layout presents a horizontal journey. On mobile, cards stack for easier reading.
Late Devonian Extinction
A prolonged crisis that disrupted reef systems and marine ecosystems, likely involving oxygen decline and climate instability.
- Coral reef collapse
- Long duration, multiple pulses
End-Permian Extinction
The largest known extinction event. Massive volcanic eruptions triggered global warming, ocean acidification, and oxygen depletion.
- Most severe extinction in Earth history
- Marine and terrestrial collapse
End-Triassic Extinction
Environmental disruption linked to volcanic activity opened ecological space later dominated by dinosaurs in the Jurassic period.
- Atmospheric carbon shifts
- Major vertebrate turnover
End-Cretaceous Extinction
A large asteroid impact, together with environmental stress, caused global ecosystem collapse and ended non-avian dinosaurs.
- Asteroid impact evidence
- Allowed mammal diversification
Human-Driven Extinction Pressures
Unlike ancient mass extinctions, today's pressures are largely tied to human activity: deforestation, overfishing, pollution, illegal wildlife trade, invasive species spread, and climate change. Many populations decline before the world notices.
Conservation science now focuses on early warning indicators, protected areas, and community-based biodiversity management to prevent future permanent losses.
What History Teaches Us
Extinction is part of Earth's history, but its speed and scale can change dramatically. The fossil record shows that recovery takes millions of years. This makes present-day conservation decisions both urgent and historically significant.