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Mass extinctions have a huge effect on the evolutionary trajectory of life on this planet. Of the many mass extinction events, the largest are known as the Big Five. Which one would you be?

Which Mass Extinction Are You?

Mysterious, understated, and deliberate, you pack quite a punch but don’t like to talk about it too much. The first of the big five extinction events, the end-Ordovician mass extinction is thought to have occurred around 440 million years ago. It occurred gradually over millions of years. Most scientists think it was the result of the supercontinent Gondwana moving slowly toward the southern pole, leading to an intense ice age. After around a million years of cold temperatures, the climate abruptly (and enigmatically) shifted back, causing even more damage. Unfortunately the geologic record for this time is not great, so there are plenty of unanswered questions. What we do know, though, is that it was a big deal—potentially the second largest known extinction.

the end-Ordovician

Long-winded, persistent, and principled, you are not afraid to shake things up, even if it takes a while. The Late Devonian mass extinction, which is actually at least two (and potentially many more) smaller extinction events over multiple millions of years, occurred between 375 and 359 million years ago and killed off over 70% of all species on the planet. Rocks from this time are often black, the result of there being no oxygen when they formed. Many scientists think that lack of oxygen in the oceans contributed to the Late Devonian extinction. One compelling theory for the lack of oxygen in the ocean actually concerns revolutionary changes on land—the evolution of plants with deep roots. Those roots would have broken apart rocks, formed soil, and brought nutrients to the ocean—causing massive algal blooms, which could have lead to the deoxygenation of deeper waters.

the late Devonian

You are a boss—the OG of mass extinctions. Powerful, authoritative, and unflinching, when there is a job that needs to get done, you are the person to call. Also referred to as the “Great Dying,” the end-Permian mass extinction occurred about 250 million years ago and is the undisputed champ of mass extinctions. It is estimated that between 93% and 97% of all species went extinct at this time. Global warming and rising levels of CO2 from massive volcanic eruptions are thought to have been a big player. Those high temperatures may have wreaked havoc on land and slowed down ocean circulation, causing stagnant oxygen-deprived waters that poisoned many of the creatures in the ocean.

the end-Permian

You are an enigma with a ruthless exterior. Unflinching in your desire for destruction, you do like to build and learn from the wreckage you create. The end-Triassic Mass Extinction occurred around 201 million years ago. It’s not well understood, but eruptions resulting from the super-continent Pangea breaking apart are a likely cause. These eruptions seem to have released tons of CO2, driving the climate into a period of global warming. While it was certainly destructive, we can nevertheless thank this particular extinction for our modern ecosystem. And let’s not forget the dinosaurs—if the end-Triassic hadn’t killed off their crocodile-like competitors, dinosaurs would never have become the icons we know of today.

the end-Triassic

You are an A-lister—a real Hollywood star. Known by all, you are the center of attention and you love it, even if you did do some pretty shady things. The most recent of the big five mass extinctions, the end-Cretaceous occurred 65 million years ago in practically an instant. The cause, as many know, was an asteroid that struck the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The blast was so large that it left grains of damaged rock literally all around the globe and covered the entire planet in a dark, nuclear-winter-like haze. This darkness destroyed photosynthesizing organisms and dismantled the food chains of many, many creatures. While we do have this extinction to thank for the ascendance of mammals (and ultimately humans), it did obliterate the revered dinosaurs.

the end-Cretaceous

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Which Mass Extinction Are You?

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