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The Permian ( / ˈpɜːrmi.ən / PUR-mee-ən) [4] is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period 298.9 million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.902 Mya. It is the last period of the Paleozoic Era; the following Triassic Period belongs to the ...
- Overview
- The Permian environment
Permian Period, in geologic time, the last period of the Paleozoic Era. The Permian Period began 298.9 million years ago and ended 252.2 million years ago, extending from the close of the Carboniferous Period to the outset of the Triassic Period.
At the beginning of the period, glaciation was widespread, and latitudinal climatic belts were strongly developed. Climate warmed throughout the Permian times, and, by the end of the period, hot and dry conditions were so extensive that they caused a crisis in Permian marine and terrestrial life. This dramatic climatic shift may have been partially triggered by the assembly of smaller continents into the supercontinent of Pangea. Most of Earth’s land area was incorporated into Pangea, which was surrounded by an immense world ocean called Panthalassa.
Terrestrial plants broadly diversified during the Permian Period, and insects evolved rapidly as they followed the plants into new habitats. In addition, several important reptile lineages first appeared during this period, including those that eventually gave rise to mammals in the Mesozoic Era. The largest mass extinction in the Earth’s history occurred during the latter part of the Permian Period. This mass extinction was so severe that only 10 percent or less of the species present during the time of maximum biodiversity in the Permian survived to the end of the period.
Permian rocks are found on all present-day continents; however, some have been displaced considerable distances from their original latitudes of deposition by tectonic transport occurring during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. Some beds dated from the latest Permian ages are renowned for their fossils; strata (rock layers) in the Russian Platform contain a remarkable vertebrate faunal assemblage as well as fossil insects and plants.
The Permian Period constitutes an important crossroads both in the history of the Earth’s continents and in the evolution of life. The principal geographic features of the Permian world were a supercontinent, Pangea, and a huge ocean basin, Panthalassa, with its branch, the Tethys Sea (a large indentation in the tropical eastern side of Pangea).
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5 days ago · placoderm. fusulinid. Permian extinction, a series of extinction pulses that contributed to the greatest mass extinction in Earth ’s history. Many geologists and paleontologists contend that the Permian extinction occurred over the course of 15 million years during the latter part of the Permian Period (299 million to 252 million years ago).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Jan 23, 2017 · January 23, 2017. • 4 min read. The Permian period, which ended in the largest mass extinction the Earth has ever known, began about 299 million years ago. The emerging supercontinent of Pangaea ...
Oct 19, 2023 · The Permian extinction reminds him of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, in which a corpse with 12 knife wounds is discovered on a train. Twelve different killers conspired to slay the victim. Erwin suspects there may have been multiple killers at the end of the Permian. Maybe everything—eruptions, an impact, anoxia—went wrong ...
Mar 6, 2019 · The Permian was the last period of the Paleozoic Era (542-250 million years ago), preceded by the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian and Carboniferous periods. Climate and Geography As during the preceding Carboniferous period, the climate of the Permian period was intimately linked with its geography.
The Permian period lasted from 299 to 251 million years ago* and was the last period of the Paleozoic Era. The distinction between the Paleozoic and the Mesozoic is made at the end of the Permian in recognition of the largest mass extinction recorded in the history of life on Earth. It affected many groups of organisms in many different ...
