When Life Nearly Died

In "When Life Nearly Died," Michael J. Benton explores the immense mass extinction event at the end of the Permian period, which obliterated at least 90 percent of Earth's species 251 million years ago. The audiobook delves into recent debates on potential causes, such as meteorite impacts or volcanic eruptions, and examines the resurgence of catastrophism, the idea that sudden geological changes have shaped Earth's history. Updated with new findings from geologists and paleontologists, this edition sheds light on both the extinction event and the remarkable recovery of life that followed, laying the groundwork for modern ecosystems.