Really Big Extinction Events

[BillT]

Tis the season to be jolly!

What better way to have fun than to contemplate the great extinctions of the past and rejoice that our ancestors somehow survived them and went on to evolve long and prosper. The precursors of our DNA survived these events.

The extinction of the dinosaurs (about 66 MYA):
The impact crater is off the Yucatan Penninsula in the Gulf of Mexico.
Here is a link to a recent RadioLab podcast I listened to. The first approximately 47 minutes are about what some people happened to dinosaurs. Very well presented and clear.
http://www.radiolab.org/story/apocalyptical-live-paramount-seattle/#commentlist

The end Permian extinction (about 250 MYA):
Cause has been more mysterious, perhaps until now.
One of my favorite extinctions because it was the biggest (96% of marine species & 70% of terrestrial vertebrate species died).
This is a link to a Science magazine "news analysis" on the subject:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/342/6165/1424.full
Let me know if it does not work for you.

[Mugwump]

Thanks...I'll have a look/listen