A Rapid Rise in Temperature Led to the Worst Extinction in our Planet's History

By Evan Gough December 10, 2018
A Rapid Rise in Temperature Led to the Worst Extinction in our Planet's History

“This study highlights the potential for a mass extinction arising from a similar mechanism under anthropogenic climate change.” - lead author Justin Penn, School of Oceanography, University of Washington.

"...climate warming and oxygen loss was a primary cause of the extinction.” - Justin Penn, School of Oceanography, University of Washington.

“Since tropical organisms’ metabolisms were already adapted to fairly warm, lower-oxygen conditions, they could move away from the tropics and find the same conditions somewhere else.” - Curtis Deutsch, co-author, UW Associate Professor of Oceanography.

Sources:

  • Press Release: Biggest extinction in Earth’s history caused by global warming leaving ocean animals gasping for breath

  • Research Paper: Temperature-dependent hypoxia explains biogeography and severity of end-Permian marine mass extinction

  • Wikipedia Entry: Holocene extinction

  • Research Paper: The misunderstood sixth mass extinction

  • Research Paper: Estimating the normal background rate of species extinction

    • Evan Gough

    Evan Gough

    Evan Gough is a science-loving guy with no formal education who loves Earth, forests, hiking, and heavy music. He's guided by Carl Sagan's quote: "Understanding is a kind of ecstasy."