(CNN) — A cataclysm engulfed the planet some 252 million years ago, wiping out more than 90% of all life. Known as the Great Dying, the mass extinction that ended the Permian geological period was the ...

A spectacular fossil trove on the Arctic island of Spitsbergen shows that marine life made a stunning comeback after Earth’s ...

A new study reveals that Earth's biomes changed dramatically in the wake of mass volcanic eruptions 252 million years ago. Reading time 3 minutes 252 million years ago, volcanic eruptions in ...

After a sharp rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels 252 million years ago, the death of forests led to a long-term shift in Earth’s climate, with greenhouse conditions persisting for millions of ...

The dinosaur extinction is widely known, but the end-Permian mass extinction was an even more devastating event in Earth's history. This extinction event occurred 252 million years ago and was most ...

Though the End-Permian mass extinction event is predicted to have killed off 80% of all life on Earth, new research is revealing survivors. In what is now China, it seems that plants were able to ...

A new study reveals that a region in China's Turpan-Hami Basin served as a refugium, or "Life oasis" for terrestrial plants during the end-Permian mass extinction, the most severe biological crisis ...

While El Niño climate patterns today are responsible for prolonged droughts and high temperatures, during the end-Permian (some 251 million years ago), they contributed to what was nearly the end of ...

Sharks might be the all time bullet-dodging champions. They’ve been around for about 450 million years, longer than trees, longer than the rings of Saturn, and longer than most of the other life on ...

Russell has a PhD in the history of medicine, violence, and colonialism. His research has explored topics including ethics, science governance, and medical involvement in violent contexts. Russell has ...

As we move through the Sixth Extinction, it can be beneficial to examine what caused massive die-offs in the past. Lystrosaurus specimens from South Africa have been found that may help clarify what ...