Details

Subject(s)

• Extinction (Biology)—History [Browse]
• Catastrophes (Geology) [Browse]
• Geology, Stratigraphic—Permian [Browse]
• Paleontology, Stratigraphic [Browse]

Summary note

"Some 250 million years ago, the earth suffered the greatest biological crisis in its history. Around 95 percent of all living species died out - a global catastrophe far greater than the dinosaurs' demise 65 million years ago. How this happened remains a mystery. But there are many competing theories. Some blame huge volcanic eruptions that covered an area as large as the continental United States; others argue for sudden changes in ocean levels and chemistry, including burps of methane gas; and still others cite the impact of an extraterrestrial object as responsible, similar to what caused the dinosaurs' extinction." "Extinction is a paleontological mystery story. Here, the world's foremost authority on the subject provides a fascinating overview of the evidence for and against a whole host of hypotheses concerning this cataclysmic event that unfolded at the end of the Permian."--BOOK JACKET.

Bibliographic references

Includes bibliographical references (p. [263]-292) and index.

Contents

• Ch. 1. Introduction
• Ch. 2. A cacophony of causes
• Ch. 3. South China interlude
• Ch. 4. It's a matter of time
• Ch. 5. Filter feeding fails
• Ch. 6. South African Eden
• Ch. 7. The perils of permian seas
• Ch. 8. Denouement
• Ch. 9. Resurrection and recovery
• Ch. 10. The paradox of the permo-triassic.

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ISBN

0691005249 (cloth : alk. paper)

LCCN

2005043376

RCP

C - S

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