Local die-offs of marine life can result. But Wignall suspects that the entire ocean may have stagnated in Permian times. What could still the currents that oxygenate the ocean? Perhaps a lack of ...

As carbon dioxide (CO2) levels rose at the end of the Permian ... which is why marine extinctions happened later – when global warming became more intense. Dr Sun said: ‘Most life failed ...

The environment also became more hospitable, with a warming climate and rising sea levels flooding low-lying landmasses to create shallow, marine habitats ideal for spawning new life-forms.

This enabled the evolution of diverse marine species. In contrast, life on land faced harsh challenges ... including the Permian-Triassic extinction which wiped out over 90% of Earth’s species.

Surviving cataclysmic events, such as the Permian-Triassic extinction that wiped out 96% of marine life, the ginkgo emerged as a "living fossil" due to its remarkable resilience. Its distinctive ...