The definition of a mass extinction
Earth's 'normal' extinction rate is often thought to be somewhere between 0.1 and 1 species per 10,000 species per 100 years. This is known as the background rate of extinction. A mass extinction event is when species vanish much faster than they are replaced.
What is an example of mass extinction?
Examples of mass extinctions are Permian extinction of marine species, and Cretaceous extinction of various species, including dinosaurs.
What could cause a mass extinction?
Mass extinctions happen because of climate change, asteroid impacts, massive volcanic eruptions or a combination of these causes. ... This event seems to be the combination of massive volcanic eruptions (the Deccan Traps) and the fall of a big meteorite.
