Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is an extinction event?
What is an extinction event?
- A widespread and rapid increase in biodiversity on Earth
- An event where the rate of speciation is higher than background extinction rate
- A widespread and rapid decrease in the biodiversity on Earth (correct)
- A process that leads to a steady rise in the diversity of multicellular organisms
How are the 'Big Five' extinction events labeled in the text?
How are the 'Big Five' extinction events labeled in the text?
- As statistically insignificant
- Not mentioned in the text
- Clickable links (correct)
- As having very little impact on marine animal genera
Why are the two extinction events in the Cambrian period characterized as large in percentage magnitude but small in absolute numbers of known taxa?
Why are the two extinction events in the Cambrian period characterized as large in percentage magnitude but small in absolute numbers of known taxa?
- Due to a lack of fossilization in that period (correct)
- Because they did not actually occur
- They are not characterized as such in the text
- Because they were catastrophic events with no survivors
What defines a mass extinction event?
What defines a mass extinction event?
How many major mass extinctions have occurred in the last 540 million years according to different estimates?
How many major mass extinctions have occurred in the last 540 million years according to different estimates?
What does the blue graph shown in the text represent?
What does the blue graph shown in the text represent?
What did Jack Sepkoski and David M. Raup identify in their 1982 paper?
What did Jack Sepkoski and David M. Raup identify in their 1982 paper?
What is significant about the Ordovician-Silurian extinction events?
What is significant about the Ordovician-Silurian extinction events?
What is suggested to be the trigger for reductions in atmospheric carbon dioxide leading to glaciation and anoxia?
What is suggested to be the trigger for reductions in atmospheric carbon dioxide leading to glaciation and anoxia?
What event is considered an extinction event that annihilated coral reefs and numerous tropical benthic animals during the Late Devonian period?
What event is considered an extinction event that annihilated coral reefs and numerous tropical benthic animals during the Late Devonian period?
Which geological period saw an extinction event speculated to precede all 'Big Five' mass extinctions?
Which geological period saw an extinction event speculated to precede all 'Big Five' mass extinctions?
What is highlighted as a potential cause of mass extinction during the Ordovician-Silurian events?
What is highlighted as a potential cause of mass extinction during the Ordovician-Silurian events?
