Dodging the Permian bullet.

Definition/Summary:

Extinction event

• Mass extinction or biotic crisis
• Widespread and rapid decrease in the biodiversity on Earth
• The event is identified by a sharp change in the diversity and abundance of multicellular organisms or life It
• Occurs when the rate of extinction increases with respect to the rate of speciation.
• Fossil records show the background rate of extinctions on Earth is about two to five taxonomic families of marine animals every million years.
• Marine fossils are mostly used to measure extinction rates because of their superior fossil record and stratigraphic range compared to land animals

Permian

• Denoting the last period of the Paleozoic era, between the Carboniferous and Triassic periods
• The concept of the Permian was introduced in 1841 by geologist Sir Roderick Murchison
• Named it after the city of Perm

Expanded info:

• Mass extinctions have sometimes accelerated the evolution of life on Earth
• When dominance of particular ecological niches passes from one group of organisms to another, a group that is “superior” to the old emerges
• Extinction events primarily eliminates old dominant groups that are inferior and makes way for the new one

Add/Misc:

Dodging the bullet

• an expression meaning to escape an unfortunate fate