Mass Extinctions of Land-Dwelling Animals Occur in 27-Million-Year Cycle
First published: 2020
Brief summary
News coverage of a study finding that mass extinctions of land animals follow the same ~26-27 million year cycle already known from marine extinctions, coinciding with major impact and flood-basalt volcanism events.
Article
Mass Extinctions of Land-Dwelling Animals Occur in 27-Million-Year Cycle is a science news summary of peer-reviewed study published by ScienceDaily (reporting NYU/Rampino study) in 2020. It presents a news coverage of a study finding that mass extinctions of land animals follow the same ~26-27 million year cycle already known from marine extinctions, coinciding with major impact and flood-basalt volcanism events.
The analysis focuses on 26-27 million years. It also considers ties together land extinction, marine extinction, impact crater, and flood-basalt volcanism records. This gives the cycle claim a specific numerical and evidential setting rather than presenting periodicity only as a visual impression.
The article reports the following result: These new findings of coinciding, sudden mass extinctions on land and in the oceans, and of the common 26- to 27-million-year cycle, lend credence to the idea of periodic global catastrophic events as triggers for the extinctions. The interpretation is strongest when it survives dating uncertainty, preservation bias, alternative event selections and correction for multiple statistical tests.
For cycles researchers, the article brings together land animal extinctions, 27-million-year cycle, mass extinctions, flood-basalt volcanism. It is relevant to debates over whether recurring patterns in the geological record reflect astronomical forcing, internal Earth processes, preservation bias or dating uncertainty.
Because it is a science news summary of peer-reviewed study, the article is a strong starting point for discussion in the Geology & Paleontology forum, although its conclusions should still be compared with later replications and updated datasets.
Source details and credits
- Source / publisher: ScienceDaily (reporting NYU/Rampino study)
- Source type: Science news summary of peer-reviewed study
- URL type: WWW
- Credits: ScienceDaily (reporting NYU/Rampino study)
- URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201211083113.htm