What caused the Permian-Triassic Extinction ?
Geologists think that the entire Permian-Triassic extinction occurred in less than one million years and some believe that nearly all of life on Earth died out in less than a hundred thousand years, and some even believe it may be under ten thousand years.
Geologists are not certain about the causes of the extinction but have evidence for four causes:
1. Climate Change:
Geologists have found evidence that the Permian period contained consistent global warming. If this happened dramatically enough, it could have shifted weather patterns, causing horrible storms in some places and massive droughts in others.
The theory is that the creation of this supercontinent eliminated inland seas that sustained terrestrial life. The joining of the continents also reduced the amount of near-shore marine habitats, disrupted normal currents and weather patterns, and could even have resulted in a depletion of oxygen in the ocean. In short, it took millions of years to form Pangaea, but once it existed, things changed rapidly and were out of control.
2. Pangaea:
A popular theory is that the creation of Pangaea itself led to the mass extinction. Pangaea was a supercontinent formed in the Permian as landmasses were pushed together by tectonic activity.