mass extinction event: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As	global extinction event • catastrophic extinction

Photos and Videos

computer-generated image of the Chicxulub crater

This infographic presents a timeline of the five major mass extinction events in Earth's history-Devonian, Ordovician-Silurian, Permian, End-Triassic, and Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T or K-Pg)-with descriptions of each event's timing, causes, and impact on marine animal families, illustrated by a graph showing the diversity and decline of marine animal families over geologic time.

The Chicxulub asteroid

Line graph showing the number of marine animal families from the Precambrian era to the present, with illustrations of key groups such as trilobites, ammonoids, marine reptiles, and diatoms. The graph highlights major extinction events and a rise to 1,900 living families today.

Illustration showing a massive asteroid above a city map with a dinosaur silhouette for scale, highlighting the asteroid's size compared to major urban areas.

What are the Different Types of Extinction?

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Topics

Permian extinction Major Mass Extinctions K–T extinction Devonian extinctions end-Triassic extinction Ordovician-Silurian extinction sixth mass extinction How Big Was the Asteroid That Contributed to Dinosaur Extinction?extinction 6 Animals We Ate Into Extinction

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