Causes of the Permian-Triassic Extinction: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Overload VS Deadly Pulse of Ultraviolet Radiation
At the end of the Permian period 252 million years ago, Earth was devastated by a mass extinction that wiped out more than 90% of the planet’s species. Compared to other mass extinctions, the recovery from the Great Dying was slow: it took at least 10 million years for the planet to be repopulated and begin to restore its diversity. The largest mass extinction in Earth’s history may have been triggered by a strong El Niño cycle. A deadly pulse of ultraviolet (UV) radiation may also have played a role in Earth’s largest mass extinction, fossilized pollen grains suggest.