Researchers from the University of Southern California have shed new light on the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event, commonly referred to as the Great Dying that reshaped life on Earth. The latest findings appear in a respected scientific outlet, highlighting how mass extinctions unfold and what they reveal about our current environmental trajectory. [Citation: USC science briefing, 2024]
About 200 million years ago, Earth experienced one of its most dramatic biodiversity crises. The root causes point to a sharp rise in greenhouse gases linked to volcanic activity, which triggered rapid global warming and cascading changes across ecosystems. This planetary upheaval marked the end of the Triassic period and ushered in the Jurassic, a transition that reorganized habitats, food webs, and the trajectory of evolution. Modern researchers note striking similarities between ancient climate forcing and present-day climate trends, underscoring the relevance of paleoenvironmental studies to today’s environmental challenges. [Citation: USC newsroom archive, 2024]
A new study emphasizes the uneven toll across realms. While marine and terrestrial ecosystems both suffered, the damage was not uniform. The evidence points to more prolonged instability on land, where the reshuffling of life forms persisted longer and altered ecological roles more deeply than in the oceans. This disparity offers a window into how climate disturbances can reorganize ecosystems differently depending on habitat context and species interactions. [Citation: Journal findings synthesis, 2024]
In the oceans, approximately 71 percent of species disappeared during the crisis. Yet marine life demonstrated a surprising resilience in the later recovery phase. Predatory groups such as sharks, along with shell-forming creatures and various sessile invertebrates, gradually returned to balance as environmental conditions stabilized enough to support renewed life. This recovery pattern informs how marine systems can rebound after drastic disruptions when refugia and nutrient cycles reassert stability. [Citation: Marine fossil record analysis, 2024]
On land, the extinction impact was far more severe. Roughly 96 percent of terrestrial species vanished, with large herbivores and early dinosaur lineages among the hardest hit. The loss reshaped terrestrial food webs, altered plant-animal interactions, and set the stage for new evolutionary experiments among survivors. The cascading effects likely influenced competition, habitat availability, and landscape-level biodiversity for millions of years. [Citation: Terrestrial fauna review, 2024]
These patterns carry important implications for today, as scientists seek to anticipate how ongoing climate change might drive future biological losses and ecosystem disruption. The study reinforces the idea that the pace and magnitude of environmental change help determine which ecosystems are most vulnerable and how quickly recovery can occur. By comparing ancient events with current trends, researchers hope to identify early warning signals and potential resilience factors. [Citation: Ecological risk assessment brief, 2024]
As co-author Kirsten Formoso notes, understanding past mass extinctions equips researchers with a framework to predict the possible outcomes of ongoing environmental crises and to explore strategies that might mitigate harm to biodiversity and human well-being. The work also invites reflection on conservation priorities, land-use practices, and climate policy that can influence the persistence of ecosystems under stress. [Citation: USC stakeholder commentary, 2024]
Earlier scientific discussions have highlighted evolutionary traps that threaten humanity, a concept that remains a cautionary note for present and future choices. The new findings add nuance to that discussion by showing how different lineages faced distinct pressures and how those pressures translated into long-term ecological reshaping. The overarching message is clear: rapid climate changes leave an imprint on both sea and land, and the trajectory of recovery depends on a complex web of environmental, biological, and geological factors. [Citation: Evolutionary dynamics synthesis, 2024]