How Plants Caused the First Mass Extinction

The video explores Earth's history 500 million years ago, focusing on the dominance of microbial life and the emergence of the first terrestrial plants. These plants triggered the End Ordovician extinction by altering the environment, leading to oxygen depletion in oceans and global cooling. Despite causing a mass extinction, early plants paved the way for complex terrestrial life by enriching soils and increasing atmospheric oxygen.

What did the planet look like about 500 million years ago?

What type of life was primarily present on land during the early stages of terrestrial life?

How did the arrival of terrestrial plants affect the Earth's environment?

What is the significance of the End Ordovician extinction event?

What evidence do scientists have regarding the first terrestrial plants?

How did the transition of plants from aquatic to terrestrial life occur?

What role did phosphorus play in the extinction of marine life during the Ordovician period?