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Top 10 Worst Extinction Events in History

From the Permian-Triassic die-off that erased over 90% of life to the Holocene crisis happening right now, these are the 10 worst mass extinction events in Earth's history — including the Big Five and several lesser-known catastrophes. Vote below on the one you think matters most, and see where readers rank it.

2026115 viewsJul 12, 2026 Updated Oct 3, 2026

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#1
Permian-Triassic Extinction (252 million years ago)
The Permian-Triassic Extinction stands as the most catastrophic event in Earth’s history, annihilating 96% of marine species and 70% of terrestrial vertebrates. Triggered by massive Siberian volcanism, it acidified oceans and stripped the ozone layer, making it 20% more lethal than the next worst event on this list. This outpaced the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction by a 20% higher species loss rate, marking it as the deadliest known extinction.
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#2
Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction (66 million years ago)
The Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction, sparked by the Chicxulub asteroid impact, ended the reign of non-avian dinosaurs and wiped out 76% of all species. It plunged the planet into years of nuclear winter that collapsed food chains globally, making it 24% less destructive than the Permian-Triassic Extinction in overall species loss.
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#3
Late Devonian Extinction (375-359 million years ago)
The Late Devonian Extinction, a prolonged crisis spanning 20 million years, eliminated 75% of species and devastated reef ecosystems so thoroughly that coral reefs took 100 million years to recover. This recovery time is 50% longer than the aftermath of the Cretaceous-Paleogene event, with a slower rate of destruction that made it 10% less severe than the average extinction event on this list.
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#4
Ordovician-Silurian Extinction (445 million years ago)
The Ordovician-Silurian Extinction, driven by rapid glaciation, caused sea levels to plummet by 80 meters, destroying shallow marine habitats and killing 85% of marine species. As the first of the 'Big Five' mass extinctions, it was 5% more effective than the Late Devonian Extinction in marine species loss, though 11% slower than the Permian-Triassic Extinction in total extinction rate. Its glacial trigger made it a unique 80-meter sea-level drop event.
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#5
Triassic-Jurassic Extinction (201 million years ago)
The Triassic-Jurassic Extinction ranks as the fourth most severe biodiversity crisis in Earth's history, wiping out roughly 80% of species. Massive volcanic eruptions from the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province pumped over 100,000 gigatons of CO2 and vast amounts of sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere over 600,000 years, triggering catastrophic global warming and ocean acidification. The extinction eliminated many large terrestrial amphibians and reptiles, while marine losses exceeded 30% of genera.
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#6
Holocene Extinction (ongoing)
The Holocene Extinction is the only ongoing event on this list, with modern extinction rates running 100 to 1,000 times higher than the natural background rate. Since 1500, at least 875 species have been officially declared extinct, but the true figure is likely many times higher.
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#7
Quaternary Megafauna Extinction (50,000-10,000 years ago)
The Quaternary Megafauna Extinction claimed over 90 genera of large mammals worldwide, including woolly mammoths, sabre-toothed cats, and giant ground sloths, between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago. The primary driver remains debated: human hunting or climate change at the end of the last ice age.
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#8
Capitanian Extinction (260 million years ago)
The Capitanian Extinction, often overshadowed by the later Permian-Triassic mass die-off, devastated tropical marine communities with an estimated 35 to 47 percent species loss. Triggered by the Emeishan volcanic eruptions in present-day China—which covered over 250,000 square kilometers in lava—the event was slower than the average Permian crisis, but its impact on reef ecosystems was even more severe. This extinction is narrower in scope than (the Holocene Extinction) but still ranks as one of the most significant marine biodiversity collapses of the Paleozoic, preceding the planet's worst extinction by just 8 million years.
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#9
Great Oxygenation Event (2.4 billion years ago)
The Great Oxygenation Event is the single deadliest proportional extinction in Earth’s history, wiping out over 99% of anaerobic life—a kill rate 10x higher than the average extinction event. When cyanobacteria began mass-producing oxygen 2.4 billion years ago, they poisoned the dominant methane-producing archaea, triggering what scientists call the "Oxygen Catastrophe." This waste product reshaped the planet’s atmosphere, leaving only 0.1% of existing species able to survive. As a result, this event outkills #10 by eliminating nearly 100% of the anaerobic biosphere, making it far more devastating than the Eocene-Oligocene transition.
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#10
Eocene-Oligocene Extinction (34 million years ago)
This mass die-off eliminated 50% of tropical marine mollusks and numerous terrestrial species, but simultaneously gave rise to modern fauna like horses, dogs, and grasses. The rapid turnover outpaced the Great Oxygenation Event’s environmental change by a factor of 4, making it the swiftest climatic upheaval since that catastrophic oxygen surge.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Earth's Mass Extinctions

### What was the deadliest extinction event in Earth's history? The Permian-Triassic Extinction (~252 million years ago) is widely considered the deadliest, eliminating an estimated 90–96% of marine species and 70% of terrestrial vertebrate species.

### Are we currently in a mass extinction? Yes. The Holocene Extinction is the only ongoing event in this list and is driven primarily by human activity, including habitat loss, climate change, overhunting, and pollution.

### What caused the dinosaur extinction? The Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction (~66 million years ago) is most closely linked to the Chicxulub asteroid impact, compounded by volcanic activity and climate disruption.

### How many mass extinction events are there? Traditionally, five major events define the 'Big Five': the Ordovician-Silurian, Late Devonian, Permian-Triassic, Triassic-Jurassic, and Cretaceous-Paleogene. Other significant crises, such as the Capitanian, Eocene-Oligocene, and Great Oxygenation Event, also caused major biodiversity loss.

Frequently Asked Questions About Earth's Mass Extinctions

## Frequently Asked Questions About Earth's Mass Extinctions

What qualifies as a mass extinction? A mass extinction is a short geological interval in which a large percentage of Earth's species die out worldwide. Biologists generally set the threshold at loss of more than 75% of species in a geologically brief period.

What are the Big Five mass extinctions? The Big Five are the Ordovician-Silurian, Late Devonian, Permian-Triassic, Triassic-Jurassic, and Cretaceous-Paleogene events. The Permian-Triassic was by far the worst, eliminating an estimated 90–96% of marine species.

Are we currently in a mass extinction? Many scientists consider the Holocene Extinction an ongoing sixth mass extinction because species are disappearing at rates far above the natural background rate, driven largely by human activity.

What caused the worst extinction event? The Permian-Triassic Extinction is linked to massive volcanic eruptions in what is now Siberia, which triggered runaway greenhouse warming, ocean acidification, and widespread oxygen loss in the seas.

How do scientists date ancient extinctions? Researchers use radiometric dating of volcanic ash beds, carbon isotope excursions, and fossil assemblages in rock layers to pinpoint when species disappeared.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the worst extinction event in history?

The Permian-Triassic extinction event, often called 'The Great Dying,' is the most severe, wiping out about 96% of marine species and 70% of terrestrial vertebrate species around 252 million years ago.

How many major mass extinctions have occurred on Earth?

There are five recognized major mass extinction events: the Ordovician-Silurian, Late Devonian, Permian-Triassic, Triassic-Jurassic, and Cretaceous-Paleogene extinctions.

Which extinction event killed the dinosaurs?

The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, caused by a massive asteroid impact 66 million years ago, led to the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs.

What caused the Permian-Triassic extinction?

The Permian-Triassic extinction was likely triggered by massive volcanic eruptions in Siberia that released enormous amounts of greenhouse gases, causing extreme global warming and ocean acidification.

Are we currently in a sixth mass extinction event?

Many scientists argue that we are in the Holocene or sixth mass extinction, driven by human activities such as habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change, with species extinction rates far exceeding normal background levels.