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(All mass extinction events taken from this site) https://www.thoughtco.com/the-5-major-mass-extinctions-4018102#:~:text=These%20five%20mass%20extinctions%20include,or%20the%20K%2DT)%20Mass%20Extinction.
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(440 million years ago)
85% of all living species eliminated
Main cause: continental drift/ climate change
The drastic climate change during earths early stages caused a quick ice age to form that didn't leave species anytime to adapt. When it was over, it ended so quickly that it killed off any species that survived. -
(375 million years ago)
80% of all living species eliminated
Main cause: lack of oxygen, rapid cooling of air, and volcanic eruptions/ meteor strikes. Lots of plants in the sea adapted to become land plants very quickly after the quick colonization of land leaving little oxygen in the ocean -
(250 million years ago)
96% of all living species eliminated
Main cause: It is mostly unknown what caused this mass extinction, but it is one of the biggest the earth has ever had. it is called "The Great Dying" -
(200 million years ago)
More then half of all life eliminated
Main cause: Volcanic eruptions and basalt flooding over the last 18 million years. Gasses from the eruption caused rapid climate change and altered sea levels. -
(65 million years ago)
75% of all species eliminated
Main cause: Meteor impact on earth, this is the extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs. These meteors caused rapid climate change that also killed some dinosaurs that were not already killed.