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The Great Dying saw up to 95% of marine species vanish and it was followed by a long period of low diversity. There were no coal and no coral reefs for millions of years.  Bivalves (molluscs) that could tolerate a low oxygen environment slowly recovered. 

 

On land the dominant Glossopteris flora died out and landscapes were very barren.

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Eight insect orders became extinct, the largest insect extinction event ever.

Two-thirds of four legged animals (tetrapods) were lost.

 

As the climate recovered in the Early Triassic, the herbivorous reptiles (Lystrosaurus) became widespread, exploiting the absence of predators and competitors.

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It took millions of years for ecosystems to re-establish, with new forms like early mammals and lizard-like reptiles (Archosauromorpha) eventually emerging, and leading to the Age of Dinosaurs.

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