Mass Extinction Events
Event↕ | When (mya)↕ | Species Lost (est.)↕ | Likely Cause↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
End-Ediacaran extinction | ~542 | Unknown, most Ediacaran biota | Oxygenation, predation, environmental change | Wiped out the strange soft-bodied Ediacaran fauna right before the Cambrian explosion |
Cambrian-Ordovician extinction | ~488 | ~40% genera | Cooling, anoxia | Ended the Cambrian, reset marine ecosystems |
Ordovician-Silurian extinction | ~445-444 | ~85% species | Glaciation and sea level drop | Second-largest mass extinction, triggered by sudden ice age and reef collapse |
Lau event | ~420 | Major reef losses | Ocean anoxia | One of several Silurian carbon-cycle perturbations |
Late Devonian (Kellwasser) | ~372 | ~75% species | Anoxia, cooling, land plant expansion | Crippled reef-building corals, started the 'Devonian reef gap' |
End-Devonian (Hangenberg) | ~359 | ~50% genera | Anoxia and sea level change | Wiped out placoderms (armored fish), reset vertebrate evolution |
Carboniferous rainforest collapse | ~305 | Massive plant turnover | Climate drying | Fragmented equatorial rainforests, set up reptile dominance |
End-Capitanian (Guadalupian) | ~260 | ~35-47% marine genera | Emeishan Traps volcanism | Pre-quel to the Great Dying, killed off huge brachiopods and reef fauna |
End-Permian ('Great Dying') | ~252 | ~96% marine species, ~70% terrestrial | Siberian Traps volcanism, CO2, anoxia | Largest extinction ever, came within a hair of ending complex life |
Triassic-Jurassic extinction | ~201 | ~80% species | Central Atlantic Magmatic Province volcanism | Cleared competitors from dinosaurs, enabling their dominance |
Toarcian extinction | ~183 | Major marine loss | Karoo-Ferrar volcanism, anoxia | Oceanic anoxic event, blackened ocean floors, hit marine invertebrates |
Cenomanian-Turonian event | ~94 | ~27% marine invertebrates | Ocean anoxia | Created widespread black shales that are now major oil source rocks |
Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) | ~66 | ~75% species, all non-avian dinosaurs | Chicxulub asteroid impact, Deccan Traps | The one that killed the dinosaurs, opened the way for mammals |
Eocene-Oligocene (Grande Coupure) | ~33.9 | Major European mammal turnover | Climate cooling, Antarctic glaciation | Birth of modern icehouse climate, major mammal faunal turnover |
Quaternary megafauna extinction | ~0.05-0.01 | Most large mammals in Americas, Australia | Climate change + human hunting | Wiped out mammoths, saber cats, giant ground sloths, thylacoleo |
Holocene (current) extinction | 0 to present | 100-1000x background rate | Human activity, habitat loss, climate change | Ongoing sixth mass extinction, driven entirely by humans |
Free to explore · No signup needed
Frequently asked questions
How is the Mass Extinction Events list ranked?
The Mass Extinction Events list is currently sorted by the source data's default ordering. Community voting is not enabled on this dataset.
How many entries are in this Mass Extinction Events dataset?
This dataset contains 16 entries, each with multiple sortable, filterable columns. The full table is visible on this page and can be downloaded as a CSV, JSON, or Excel file.
Can I download the Mass Extinction Events data?
Yes. The download buttons at the top of the page give you the full 16-row dataset as CSV, JSON, or Excel. Use of the data is permitted under a Creative Commons Attribution license — credit dtbse.com when you republish.
Related Datasets
More in Science
Human Evolution — Complete Timeline of Hominin Species
Every known hominin species from Sahelanthropus tchadensis 7 million years ago to modern Homo sapiens. Includes brain sizes, height estimates, geographic range, tool use, and what makes each species significant in the story of human evolution. The most comprehensive hominin species list available as structured data.
Dinosaur Species
The most famous dinosaurs that ever roamed Earth — from the mighty T-Rex to the towering Brachiosaurus.
Human Evolutionary Tree
The evolutionary lineage of Homo sapiens from the earliest possible hominins 7 million years ago to modern humans. Includes ancestors, cousin species, and extinct side branches with brain sizes, regions, and key traits.
Famous Patent Inventions
The telephone, the zipper, Velcro — which patented invention changed everyday life the most?
Nobel Prize in Physics Winners
All Nobel Prize in Physics laureates with year and country.
Nobel Prize in Economics Winners
All winners of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.
Types of Lightning
Cloud-to-ground, ball lightning, sprites or blue jets - which electrical phenomenon in the sky is the most terrifying?
Types of Maps
Topographic, political, treasure — which type of map is the most useful and fascinating?
Famous Particle Accelerators
LHC, Tevatron, SLAC or FAIR - which giant physics machine unlocked the deepest secrets of matter?
Types of Nebulae
Emission, planetary, dark, supernova remnant or reflection - which type of cosmic cloud is the most spectacular?
Scientific Breakthroughs
Transformative scientific discoveries that reshaped our understanding of the world, from heliocentrism to CRISPR gene editing.
Renewable Energy Sources
Major renewable and emerging clean energy sources with their global contribution, advantages, and limitations.