When did the Late Devonian mass extinction occur?
The Late Devonian mass extinction struck Earth around 372 million years ago. It marks the boundary between the Frasnian and Famennian ages of the Late Devonian period.
Questions about Late Devonian mass extinction
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How many marine species vanished during the Kellwasser event?
Estimates suggest approximately 40% of marine species vanished during this interval. This crisis ranks as one of the Big Five most severe mass extinctions in history.
Which reef-builders disappeared completely from the fossil record during the extinction?
Stromatoporoid sponges and rugose and tabulate corals disappeared almost completely from the fossil record. Following this collapse, Famennian reefs became dominated instead by siliceous sponges and calcifying bacteria.
What caused the Late Devonian mass extinction according to 2002 research papers?
Magmatism suggested as a cause emerged prominently in 2002 research papers regarding the Viluy Large igneous province. Volcanic rocks dyke belts and sills cover more than 320,000 square kilometers containing over one million cubic kilometers of magmatic material.
Did an asteroid impact create the Siljan Ring during the extinction?
An asteroid impact created the Siljan Ring either just before or coinciding with the Kellwasser event according to some researchers. Most impact craters like the Kellwasser-aged Alamo cannot generally be dated precisely enough to link them directly to the crisis.