What killed nearly all life 250 million years ago? Warming and CO2 rise blamed

An extinction event approximately 252 million years ago decimated nearly all life on Earth, both in the oceans and on land. Scientists point to a prolonged period of atmospheric and oceanic warming that began around 300 million years ago as the primary driver of this catastrophic event.

As carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rose significantly, they eventually surpassed oxygen levels. This dramatic shift created an environment where living organisms struggled to survive, leading to a slow but widespread die-off. The imbalance between rising CO2 and diminishing oxygen is considered the critical factor in this mass extinction.

This ancient event serves as a stark reminder of the profound impact environmental changes can have on biodiversity. The scale of the extinction underscores the fragility of ecosystems when faced with drastic shifts in climate and atmospheric composition.