The Triassic–Jurassic extinction cleared ecological space for dinosaurs to become the dominant land animals of the Jurassic.
Triassic–Jurassic Extinction: Volcanoes Open the Age of Dinosaurs Read More »
The Devonian extinction shows that evolution can be reshaped not by one sudden blow, but by a long collapse in ocean health.
Oceans Lose Their Breath Read More »
Snowball Earth was a time when our planet may have frozen nearly from pole to pole, testing life and setting the stage for later biological change.
Snowball Earth: When Ice Reached the Equator Read More »
The animal evolution of the bilaterian body plan is directionality, which gave us agency.
Bilaterian Split: The Origin of Agency Read More »
Before, during, and after the K–Pg extinction: a thriving Late Cretaceous world of dinosaurs, pterosaurs, birds, and flowering plants gives way to the asteroid strike and global collapse that ended the age of non-avian dinosaurs.
The K-Pg Extinction Read More »
The Permian-Triassic extinction was not just the end of many species. It was a planetary reset that destroyed the old synapsid-dominated world and opened the door for the archosaur line that would later give rise to dinosaurs.
The P-T Extinction Read More »
About 255 million years ago, during the late Permian, our mammalian ancestory, the synapsids ruled the land.
The Synapsid World of the Late Permian Read More »
The Cenozoic era starts with the K–Pg extinction 66 million years ago. That event marks the sudden end of the reign of dinosaurs and the rise of mammals and birds.
Cenozoic Era: Age of Mammals & Birds Read More »
The Mesozoic era starts with the end-Permian mass extinction 252 million years ago. Dinosaurs ruled over all, including us. It ends the reign of dinosaurs with the K–Pg extinction 66 million years ago.
Mesozoic Era: Age of Dinosaurs Read More »
The start of the Paleozoic era is marked by burrowing life 538.8 million years ago. The era includes the dominant rise of our ancestors. It ends 252 million years ago with the end-Permian mass extinction, a volcanic cascade global warming event.
Paleozoic Era: The Age of Synapsids Read More »
This trilobite is a direct-line ancestor to insects, spiders, and crustaceans. It reminds us that early animal life was already complex, varied, and successful.
