Extinctions

In this series

• 8

  

  Feature Film

  Mass Extinction: Life at the Brink

  (46 min 19 sec) Five times in Earth’s past, the vast majority of plant and animal species have been annihilated in a geologic instant. What triggered these dramatic events, and what might they tell us about the fate of our world? PLEASE N​OTE: Due to international distribution restrictions, this program can only be streamed in the United States and Canada from October 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.
• 6

  

  Scientist at Work

  Climate Change in Yellowstone

  (07 min 28 sec) Ecosystems in the world-famous national park are threatened by warming temperatures.
• 

  Scientist at Work

  Fossils, Extinctions, and the Future

  (09 min 15 sec) Prehistoric extinction rates are calculated from fossil data in a paleodatabase and compared to today’s extinction rate.
• 19

  

  Short Film

  The Day the Mesozoic Died

  (33 min 43 sec) The disappearance of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period posed one of the greatest, long-standing scientific mysteries. This three-act film tells the story of the extraordinary detective work that solved it. 
• 12

  

  Lecture

  Biodiversity in the Age of Humans

  Are we witnessing a sixth mass extinction? What factors threaten ecosystems on land and in the sea? What are researchers doing to try to conserve biodiversity and ecosystems?
• 318

  

  App

  EarthViewer

  EarthViewer is an interactive tool that allows you to explore the science of Earth's deep history. 
• 8

  

  Activity

  Evidence in the Ocean for a Mass Extinction

  A hands-on activity in which students see first-hand the difference in foraminifera fossils below and above the K-T boundary.
• 21

  

  Poster

  Poster: The Anthropocene

  The poster supporting the 2014 Holiday Lectures, Biodiversity in the Age of Humans, illustrates many ways that humans are affecting the earth.
• 44

  

  Click & Learn

  Deep History of Life on Earth

  The record of life on Earth stretches over 3 billion years. Deep time and Earth history are keys to understanding the present.
• 21

  

  Poster

  Poster: The Making of Mass Extinctions

  Discover the environmental factors that caused the five big mass extinctions in Earth’s history and which species they impacted.
• 

  Lecture

  Earth's Climate: Back to the Future

  (01 h 27 min 59 sec) Earth has been both cooler and warmer in the past, but the change is usually gradual. The current rate of carbon dioxide increase is unprecedented in human history, and solutions to mitigate its effect on global warming are challenging to implement.
• 11

  

  Activity

  Evidence on Land for a Mass Extinction

  A lesson in which students analyze graphs and data on pollen grains and fern spores to form a picture of the living landscape before and after the K-T mass extinction.