This is alist ofextinction events, both mass and minor:[1]
| Period or supereon | Extinction | Date | Probable causes[2] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quaternary | Holocene extinction | c. 10,000 BC – Ongoing | Humans[3] |
| Quaternary extinction event | 640,000, 74,000, and 13,000 years ago | Unknown; may includeclimate changes,massive volcanic eruptions andHumans (largely by human overhunting)[4][5][6] | |
| Neogene | Pliocene–Pleistocene boundary extinction | 2 Ma | Possible causes include asupernova[7][8] or theEltanin impact[9][10] |
| Middle Miocene disruption | 14.5 Ma | Climate change due to change of ocean circulation patterns.Milankovitch cycles may have also contributed[11] | |
| Paleogene | Eocene–Oligocene extinction event | 33.9 Ma | Multiple causes includingglobal cooling, polar glaciation, falling sea levels, and thePopigai impactor[12] |
| Cretaceous | Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event | 66 Ma | Chicxulub impactor; thevolcanism which resulted in the formation of theDeccan Traps may have contributed.[13] |
| Cenomanian-Turonian boundary event | 94 Ma | Most likely underwater volcanism associated with theCaribbean large igneous province, which would have caused global warming and acidic oceans[14] | |
| Aptian extinction | 117 Ma | Unknown, but may be due to volcanism of theRajmahal Traps[15] | |
| Jurassic | End-Jurassic (Tithonian) | 145 Ma | No longer regarded as a major extinction but rather a series of lesser events due to bolide impacts, eruptions of flood basalts, climate change and disruptions to oceanic systems[16] |
| Pliensbachian-Toarcian extinction (Toarcian turnover) | 186-178 Ma | Formation of theKaroo-Ferrar Igneous Provinces[17] | |
| Triassic | Triassic–Jurassic extinction event | 201 Ma | Possible causes include gradual climate changes, volcanism from theCentral Atlantic magmatic province[18] or an impactor[19] |
| Carnian Pluvial Event | 230 Ma | Wrangellia flood basalts,[20] or the uplift of theCimmerian orogeny | |
| Olenekian-Anisian boundary event | 247 Ma | Ocean acidification[21] | |
| Smithian-Spathian boundary event | 249 Ma | Late eruptions of the Siberian Traps | |
| Griesbachian-Dienerian boundary-event | 252 | Late eruptions of the Siberian Traps[22] | |
| Permian | Permian–Triassic extinction event | 252 Ma | Large igneous province (LIP) eruptions[23] from theSiberian Traps,[24] an impact event (theWilkes Land Crater),[25] anAnoxic event,[26] anIce age,[27] or other possible causes |
| End-Capitanian extinction event | 260 Ma | Volcanism from theEmeishan Traps,[28] resulting in global cooling and other effects | |
| Olson's Extinction | 270 Ma | Unknown.[29][30][31] Possibly a change in climate, but evidence for this is weak.[32] This event may actually be a slow decline over 20 Ma.[33] | |
| Carboniferous | Carboniferous rainforest collapse | 305 Ma | Possibilities include a series of rapid changes in climate, or volcanism of theSkagerrak-Centered Large Igneous Province[34] |
| Serpukhovian extinction | ~ 325 Ma | Onset of theLate Paleozoic icehouse | |
| Devonian | Hangenberg event | 359 Ma | Anoxia, possibly related to theFamennian glaciation or volcanic activity, Supernova[35] |
| Late Devonian extinction (Kellwasser event) | 372 Ma | Viluy Traps[36][37][38]Woodleigh Impactor?[2] | |
| Taghanic Event | ~384 Ma | Anoxia | |
| Kačák Event | ~388 Ma | Anoxia | |
| Silurian | Lau event | 420 Ma | Changes in sea level and chemistry?[39] |
| Mulde event | 424 Ma | Global drop in sea level?[40] | |
| Ireviken event | 428 Ma | Deep-ocean anoxia;[41]Milankovitch cycles?[42] | |
| Ordovician | Late Ordovician mass extinction | 445-444 Ma | Global cooling and sea level drop, and/orglobal warming related tovolcanism andanoxia[43] |
| Cambrian | Cambrian–Ordovician extinction event | 488 Ma | KalkarindjiLarge Igneous Province?[44] |
| Dresbachian extinction event | 502 Ma | ||
| End-Botomian extinction event | 517 Ma | ||
| Precambrian | End-Ediacaran extinction | 542 Ma | Anoxic event[45] |
| Great Oxygenation Event | 2400 Ma | Rising oxygen levels in the atmosphere due to the development ofphotosynthesis as well as possibleSnowball Earth event. (see:Huronian glaciation.) |
Moreover, we have unleashed a mass extinction event, the sixth in roughly 540 million years, wherein many current life forms could be annihilated or at least committed to extinction by the end of this century.
Although some debate persists, most of the evidence suggests that humans were responsible for extinction of this Pleistocene fauna, and we continue to drive animal extinctions today through the destruction of wild lands, consumption of animals as a resource or a luxury, and persecution of species we see as threats or competitors.
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| Theories and concepts | |||||
| Extinction events |
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