Extinction

AP Biology· difficulty 2/5

The bar chart shows the magnitude of the "Big Five" mass extinctions.

Ord Dev P-T Tri K-Pg % genera lost

Which event, indicated by the tallest (filled) bar, was the most severe?

  • A

    Devonian

  • B

    Permian-Triassic (P-T)

    check_circle
  • C

    Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg)

  • D

    Ordovician-Silurian

Explanation

The end-Permian extinction (~252 Ma) is the most severe mass extinction in Earth's history, eliminating roughly 95% of marine species and ~70% of terrestrial vertebrate species.

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