Extinction event

Extinction event or mass extinction is a widespread and rapid decrease in the biodiversity on Earth. Such an event is identified by a sharp change in the diversity and abundance of multicellular organisms. It occurs when the rate of extinction increases with respect to the rate of speciation.

Causes

Extinction events can be caused by several factors including environmental disaster, climate change, volcanic eruptions, and asteroid impact. The most famous extinction event is the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, which led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Effects

The effects of an extinction event are long-lasting and can affect the ecosystem for millions of years. It can lead to a loss of biodiversity, changes in the distribution of species, and can even alter the course of evolution.

Notable Extinction Events

There have been five major extinction events in the history of the Earth. These include the Ordovician–Silurian extinction events, the Late Devonian extinction, the Permian–Triassic extinction event, the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event, and the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.

See Also

• Biodiversity
• Climate change
• Dinosaurs
• Ecosystem
• Evolution
• Volcanic eruptions

References

Extinction event Resources
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