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Not entirely know, but obvious candidates are extrogenous events like a meteorite strike. Climate change via natural processes (eg Millankovitch cycles). There is also some that suggestion that mass extinctions may occur merely due to the fact that complex dynamic systems (like a global ecosystem) exihibits exitinctions events of varying magnitudes or fluctuations. Here mas extinctions are merely chain reaction of smaller extinction events as an individual species extinction (caused by small extrogeneos or introgeneous factors) cascades through an ecosystem. (See Self-organized criticality and punctuated Equilibrium.

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Why did the plesiosaurs go extinct and what factors contributed to their disappearance from the Earth?

Plesiosaurs went extinct around 66 million years ago, likely due to a combination of factors. The main reason for their extinction is believed to be the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs, known as the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. This event was likely caused by a massive asteroid impact, volcanic activity, and climate change. These factors led to drastic changes in the environment, including a decrease in food sources and habitat loss, which ultimately contributed to the extinction of the plesiosaurs.


Why did life continue to exist after a mass extinction?

Life continued to exist after mass extinctions due to the resilience and adaptability of certain species that were able to survive in the changed environment. These surviving species were able to evolve and fill ecological niches left empty by the extinction event, allowing life to continue and diversify over time.


What factors generally cause mass extinction?

Factors that generally cause mass extinction include natural disasters (such as asteroid impacts or volcanic eruptions), climate change, environmental changes, and human activities like deforestation, pollution, and habitat destruction. These factors can disrupt ecosystems and lead to the widespread extinction of various species.


How did plesiosaurs go extinct?

Plesiosaurs went extinct around 66 million years ago, likely due to a combination of factors including environmental changes, competition with other marine reptiles, and the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs.


What has occurred when larte numbers of species die out over a short period of time?

When large numbers of species die out over a short period of time, it is referred to as a mass extinction event. These events are typically caused by major environmental changes, such as asteroid impacts, volcanic eruptions, or rapid climate change, that disrupt ecosystems and lead to widespread species loss. Mass extinctions have occurred several times in Earth's history, the most famous being the one that wiped out the dinosaurs around 66 million years ago.

Related Questions

What are the extinction of animals in the very distant past?

There were five major extinction events in the past. They are called the Cretaceous-Tertiary (or K-T) extinction event, the late Devonian mass extinction, the Permian mass extinction, the Ordovician-Silurian mass extinction and the Triassic-Jurassic mass extinction event.


What is a synonym for mass extinction?

Catastrophic extinction event.


What is mass depletions?

Mass depletion is an event in which extinction rates are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as a mass extinction.


How do I use Permian Extinction in a sentence?

No, child, I was not a witness to the Permian Extinction. The Permian extinction event is the only known mass extinction of insects. The Permian extinction event occurred about 252 million years ago.


Is the Devonian time before or after the mass extinction?

Which mass extinction? There have been five such events. The first one, the Ordovician-Silurian extinction event occurred before the Devonian. The Late Devonian event occurred during the Devonian. All other mass extinctions occurred after the Devonian.


How do you use the word mass extinction in a sentence?

We are still not sure what caused the mass extinction of the dinosaurs, though an asteroid impact seems to be the popular theory.Scientists believe we may be heading towards another mass extinction event.


What is the dying out of many types of animals at once called?

A mass extinction or extinction event. For instance the death of the dinosaurs is the Cretaceous-Tertiary event (or K-T event for short).


What type of reptile did not survive the mass extinction event at the end of the mesozoic era?

The non-avian dinosaurs did not survive the mass extinction event at the end of the Mesozoic era, known as the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. These reptiles went extinct, paving the way for the rise of mammals and birds.


When did organisms suffer the largest mass extinction known?

The most devastating mass extinction occurred in the Late Permian (~250 million years ago).


What event marked the end of the Mesozoic Ara and the beginning of the Cenozoic?

An asteroid impact


What event marked the both the beginning and end of the Mesozoic era?

A mass extinction


What is an event when many types of living things die out at once?

mass extinction