Geological history drew a line in the sand 252 million years ago. The Permian Period ended, and the Triassic began.
Biosphere
Discussions of the biosphere
Life Crashes as the Permian Ends
The Permian Period came to a catastrophic end 252 million years ago with the extinction of 95 percent of all marine species and 70 percent of terrestrial species.
Permian Water World
The Permian water world contained one massive continent, Pangea, and a single vast ocean stretching around the globe from coast to coast.
Carboniferous Cooling
The biosphere and our environment are in a constant dance of self-regulation. Carboniferous cooling at the end of the period is a classic example of a self-regulating cycle.
Carboniferous Period
The Carboniferous Period derives its name from our love of fossil fuels. Between 359 and 299 million years ago, life laid the foundations for Anthropocene climate change as massive coal deposits formed.
End of the Devonian
Causes of the Late Devonian extinction are more speculation than fact. But there are various bits of evidence hinting at possible causes, and a possible answer is all of the above.
Devonian Life Sinks into Mass Extinction
Between about 383 and 359 million years ago, 70 to 80 percent of the species on the planet disappeared in a Late Devonian Mass Extinction.
The Rise of Devonian Trees
Earth’s Devonian trees altered the climate and landscape, creating new dynamics for the world’s food webs and providing vast new ecological niches for evolution to fill.
Devonian World
The explosion in plant life in the Devonian world may have been more significant for Earth’s history than the changes wrought in the animal kingdom.
Silurian Magic
During a period of Silurian magic, life benefited from environmental conditions and thrived in the warm shallow seas and on land.