Introduction
The largest extinction in Earth's history marked the end of the Permian period, some 252 million years ago.
Long before dinosaurs, our planet was populated with plants and animals that were mostly obliterated after a series of massive volcanic eruptions in Siberia.
Fossils in ancient seafloor rocks display a thriving and diverse marine ecosystem, then a swath of corpses.
Some 96 percent of marine species were wiped out during the "Great Dying," followed by millions of years when life had to multiply and diversify once more.
Cause
The exact causes of the extinction are still unknown, but the scientific consensus is that the main cause was volcanic eruptions.
The eruptions released sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide, which caused: Global warming, Ocean acidification, Euxinia.
The short-term effects of the extinction included: Cold, Darkness, Acid rain.
These effects killed plants and photosynthetic plankton, which are the base of most food chains. Herbivores and carnivores that ate them also starved.
Some animals that survived the extinction include: Frogs, Salamanders, Lizards, Mammals.