A key reason the end- Permian extinction was so dire was because the mega El Niños created incredibly warm conditions in the tropics, which spread quickly to higher latitudes, resulting in the loss of ...

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Known as the Great ...

While El Niño climate patterns today are responsible for prolonged droughts and high temperatures, during the end-Permian (some 251 million years ago), they contributed to what was nearly the end of ...

The Permian Period, which lasted from about 299 to 252 million years ago, was one of the most fascinating and dangerous times in Earth’s history. It ended with the largest mass extinction ever ...

About 252 million years ago, 80 to 90 percent of life on Earth was wiped out. In the Turpan-Hami Basin, life persisted and bounced back faster. By Laura Baisas Published Mar 12, 2025 2:00 PM EDT Get ...

Scientists don't call it the "Great Dying" for nothing. About 252 million years ago, upward of 80% of all marine species vanished during the end-Permian mass extinction—the most extreme event of its ...

A new study reveals that a region in China's Turpan-Hami Basin served as a refugium, or "Life oasis" for terrestrial plants during the end-Permian mass extinction, the most severe biological crisis ...

Fossil evidence from North China suggests that some ecosystems may have recovered within just two million years of the end-Permian mass extinction, much sooner than previously thought. Tropical ...

An international research team from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and from Buenos Aires and Washington D.C. has identified a new fossil from central Germany, offering fresh insights into the early ...