TOPICSMass extinction
Mass extinction
Human hunting played a decisive role in the extinction of large mammals
Humans were responsible for the extinction of large mammals.
Scientists built the most extensive and most detailed bird family tree to date
Computational tools fuel reconstruction of new and improved bird family tree.
Dinosaurs’ range of locomotion made them incredibly adaptable; study
Dinosaurs’ success helped by specialized stance and gait.
Exploring shell life species after Earth’s largest extinction
Shell life species not competitors as they adjusted to Earth’s largest extinction.
Fossil discovery of a saber-toothed creature connects northern and southern hemisphere faunas
New top predator in town (at least, temporarily).
Biodiversity loss caused ecological collapse after the “Great Dying”
Biodiversity loss could lead to ecological collapse.
Patterns of mass extinction coincided with rapid decrease in marine oxygen levels
This evidence has important implications for modern deoxygenation and biodiversity declines.
Evolution of tree roots may have driven mass extinctions
Geologists find link between ancient, global-scale extinction events and modern threats to Earth’s oceans.
Dinosaurs killing impact triggered a “mega-earthquake” that lasted weeks to months
The amount of energy released in this "mega-earthquake" is estimated at 1023 joules
Most mass extinctions occurred after mega-eruptions
The impact of repeated eruptions over millennia.