The Five Major Mass Extinctions: Earth's History of Biodiversity Loss

The video explores Earth's five major mass extinction events, detailing their causes and impacts. It begins with the Ordovician-Silurian extinction, attributed to global cooling, followed by the Late Devonian extinction linked to ocean anoxia. The Permian-Triassic extinction, the largest, was caused by volcanic activity. The Triassic-Jurassic extinction was due to global warming, and the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction was triggered by an asteroid impact, leading to the demise of non-avian dinosaurs.

What was the primary cause of the Ordovician-Silurian extinction?

• Anoxia in oceans

• Asteroid impact

• Volcanic eruptions

• Global cooling and glaciation

Which phenomenon is believed to have caused the Late Devonian extinction?

• Massive glaciation

• Anoxia in the oceans

• Global cooling

• Asteroid impact

What was the main trigger for the Permian-Triassic extinction?

• Global cooling

• Siberian Traps volcanic activity

• Asteroid impact

• Sea level rise

Which extinction event is known as the 'Great Dying'?

• Ordovician-Silurian

• Late Devonian

• Cretaceous-Paleogene

• Permian-Triassic

What caused the Triassic-Jurassic extinction?

• Global cooling

• Volcanic eruptions

• Asteroid impact

• Greenhouse gases

Which extinction event led to the demise of non-avian dinosaurs?

• Cretaceous-Paleogene

• Permian-Triassic

• Late Devonian

• Ordovician-Silurian

What was the primary cause of the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction?

• Anoxia in oceans

• Asteroid impact

• Volcanic eruptions

• Global warming