At that time, hunters such as the Titanophones lived alongside huge armored reptiles the size of a buffalo. At a certain point, they went extinct along with thousands of other species, giving way to the next kings of nature, the dinosaurs.

what is known

Scientists were able not only to distinguish between two successive extinctions, but also to say that they were caused by the same event. In terms of the planet’s long history, this period is so short that it was previously perceived by scientists as a single holistic process. It was caused by volcanic eruptions.

By studying uranium isotopic profiles in marine samples collected in the South China Sea, scientists discovered events where the oceans were deoxygenated. Oxygen-free oceans provoked Two mass extinctions 259 million and 262 million years ago. By studying these ancient extinctions, researchers can better predict how modern global warming might affect the ocean’s food chain. Humans mimic the effects of volcanic eruptions by releasing carbon into the atmosphere.

Titanophones in the image of the artist / Wikipedia photo

Scientists distinguish the five largest mass extinctions. The Middle Permians discussed in this study are not among the Big Five, but were still important.

• Large eruptions create a short period of cold weather followed by much longer periods of global warming due to ash reflecting sunlight in the upper atmosphere.
• Large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions have warmed the oceans.
• The warm surface water prevented dissolved oxygen from reaching deeper, destroying the food chain.

The eruptions that caused a double mass extinction occurred in southwest China.