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News · 12 July 2026

Warming, low oxygen oceans caused Earth's biggest mass extinction 252 million years ago

Warming, low oxygen oceans caused Earth's biggest mass extinction 252 million years ago

Image by andersons85 on Freepik

Around 252 million years ago, approximately 96% of marine species were eradicated in the "Great Dying", a mass extinction event caused by warming waters and oxygen depletion. A new Stanford-led study, published on 6 July, found that animals less able to cope with these conditions suffered the highest extinction rates. Scientists state that these findings provide a cautionary tale regarding the potential reactions of contemporary marine life to ongoing climate change.

Reported by ScienceDaily · How we write briefs

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