Mass-Extinction-Student-Worksheet (3)
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Temple University *
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Course
ESS 0854
Subject
Geology
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
Pages
7
Uploaded by daniellem2280
Mass Extinctions in Earth Student Published April 2016 www.BioInteractive.or
Directions
1.
Watch Video Extinction:
an End and a New Beginning
(0:00 –
23:40 minutes).
2.
What questions this brief film clip generates in your mind. Record your ideas.
3.
Open the Making of Mass Extinction and check carefully the 5 main mass extinctions represented.
4.
Launch and explore the features of EarthViewer
:
■
Click, hold, and drag to rotate the planet.
■
Click, hold, and drag down the horizontal silver slider on the timeline; watch what happens to the planet and the data indicators as you move backward and forward in time.
■
Position the silver timeline slider at 0 MYA (top of the timeline). Click on the left "play" button at the bottom of the timeline; watch what happens. When the silver bar stops at the bottom, click on the right "play" button and watch again.
■
Position the silver timeline slider at 0 MYA. Click on "Charts" at the bottom of the screen. Choose a chart. Now click on the left "play" button at the bottom of the timeline. Watch what happens on your chosen chart as the slider moves down the timeline.
■
Click "pause" before the slider reaches the bottom of the timeline. Note that your chosen chart will show a demarcation in the data for that point in time.
■
Close your chart in EarthViewer by clicking on the "X" in the upper right-hand corner.
5.
Make sure the timeline displays 0
–
540 million years and then click on "View" at the bottom of the screen; turn on "Mass Extinctions." Click "View" again to minimize the menu.
6.
Note the five yellow triangles that appear on the right side of the timeline. These correspond to mass extinctions.
Mass Extinctions in Earth Student Published April 2016 www.BioInteractive.or
7.
Gather data: Drag the slider to the Ordovician extinction, 440 MYA. Use the EarthViewer features to fill in the following chart. For Biodiversity, you will need to move the slider carefully and record the number of marine genera present just before and just after the extinction event. Gather data in the same manner for the remaining four mass extinctions.
What was Earth's
Biodiversity
surface like?
Avg.
(# of genera
Landmasses?
Surface
just before &
Mass
Proportion of
Temp.,
O
2 CO
2 Day
just after
Extinction
MYA
land to water?
°C
(%)
(ppm)
Length
Luminosity
extinction)
Ordovician
440 80/20 Most land is in the south 15.3 17.9 4852 21.8 96.16 Before 1362 After 841 Devonian
360 80/20 Land masses are starting to move 16.3 28.3 3370 22.2 96.9 1023 831 Permian
250 80/20 17.6 26.4 571 22.7 97.86 1178 311 Triassic
200 80/20 14.9 20.7 1400 23 98.24 705 545 Cretaceous
64 80/20 15.9 22.7 839 23.7 99.48 2218 1359 Present
0 70/30 14.5 21 392 24 100 2470 a.
Do any patterns and correlations emerge from your chart? Does any of the data suggest an explanation for the occurrence of mass extinctions?
Based on the patterns provided it can be interpreted that through the data there is an explanation for the occurrence of mass extinctions. The report shows that after mass extinction occurs, the biodiversity goes down, as well as an major decrease in CO2 concentration and average temperature. b.
Calculate the biodiversity loss in each extinction and report in terms of percent.
Ordovician Devonian Permian Triassic Cretaceous
Mass Extinctions in Earth Student Published April 2016 www.BioInteractive.or
% of Genera Lost 38% 19% 73% 23% 39% c.
What questions do you now have about mass extinctions?
1.
When did the most significant mass extinctions occur, and what were the consequences for life on Earth? 2.
How long does it typically take for ecosystems to recover and diversify after a mass extinction event? 3.
What role did climate change, asteroid impacts, volcanic activity, or other environmental factors play in causing mass extinctions?
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ELABORATE, PART 1
●
Return to EarthViewer. Move the slider down to "Cretaceous extinction" and click on the link. Read the information about this extinction (formally known as the Cretaceous-Paleogene or sometimes the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction).
●
The information tells you that "overwhelming evidence suggests that the extinction was caused by a 10-km-diameter asteroid that struck Earth." Suggest at least three lines of evidence that might have led scientists to this conclusion. Discuss your predictions and record your ideas in the space below.
1)
The asteroid that struck earth had an impact on our planet’s ocean, the water became more acidic, poisoned from CO2 and deprived it of oxygen. 2)
Had a global effect, blocking sunlight for extended periods of time and affecting global climate. The extinction of the dinosaurs opened new ecological niches for mammals to take over. 3)
Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, was hit by the asteroid, buried beneath more recent sedimentary rocks causing the dinosaurs inhibited there to go extinct. ●
Together with your class, continue watching the film, Mass Extinction: Life at the Brink (1:55 - 21:00). As you watch, record the kinds of scientific evidence that support the asteroid impact hypothesis.
1.
The video explained how only the tiniest of species were able to survive the longest during this mass extinction, “This tiny 4cm long Trilobite, was the last to remain until the species died off completely. Instead of specifically adapting itself to various conditions around it, the trilobite proliferated quickly thanks to its small size and was able to survive longer than its more elaborately designed cousins”. Which explains how the asteroid killed off much or the larger mammals that needed more resources to survive. 2.
The video also noted, “Sulphur dioxide and chlorine mixed with the air causing acid rain to drench the earth and make it soil uninhabitable to any form of plant life. Also, with the balance of the atmosphere broken, the solid methane in the oceans began to melt, causing Earth's ecosystem to spiral into chaos. This supports how an asteroid may also have the same impact on the Earth’s oceans causing mass extinction. 3.
How does your predicted evidence compare with the actual evidence used to support the
Mass Extinctions in Earth Student Published April 2016 www.BioInteractive.or
asteroid impact hypothesis?
The predicted evidence is closely related to the actual evidence used to support the asteroid impact hypothesis. There are similarities to the impacts of the destruction on Earth’s ecosystems, land masses and oceans. The oceans were poisoned, much of life was destroyed, 97% of aquatic animals succumbing to extinction, and 70% of terrestrial vertebrates, dying off. ELABORATE, PART 2
●
Return to EarthViewer. Move the slider down to "Permian extinction" and click on the link. Read the information about this extinction (formally known as the Permian-Triassic extinction).
●
The information tells you that "it is thought that massive eruptions of Siberian volcanoes caused catastrophic global warming, ocean acidification, and widespread lack of oxygen in the oceans." Predict what kinds of evidence might have led scientists to this conclusion. What kind of evidence would suggest the existence of volcanoes? What kinds of evidence might suggest global warming, ocean acidification, or lack of oxygen in the oceans? Discuss your predictions and record your ideas in the space below.
Massive eruptions of Siberian volcanoes triggered the Permian-Triassic extinction, characterized by catastrophic global warming, ocean acidification, and widespread oceanic oxygen depletion, is supported by several lines of evidence. Geological findings include the presence of extensive volcanic deposits and fossilized lava flows from the Siberian region, indicating a history of volcanic activity. Petrographic analysis reveals volcanic minerals and textures, while geochemical markers like elevated sulfur and magnesium levels confirm volcanic influence in sediments. To establish global warming, stable isotope analysis of ancient carbonates indicates temperature changes, and the shift in the fossil record towards species adapted to warmer conditions aligns with warming trends. The presence of sedimentary structures and evaporites further supports this warming hypothesis. In terms of ocean acidification, changes in the marine fossil record, particularly in calcium carbonate-bearing organisms, signify shifts in ocean chemistry, with altered sediment composition serving as additional evidence. Finally, fossil evidence of species adapted to low-oxygen environments and the geochemical indicators and sedimentary structures suggestive of anoxia substantiate the hypothesis of widespread oceanic oxygen depletion during the Permian-Triassic extinction. Collectively, these diverse forms of evidence converge to build a compelling case for the volcanic-driven global environmental upheaval that defined this catastrophic mass extinction event.
Mass Extinctions in Earth Student Published April 2016 www.BioInteractive.or
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Mass Extinctions in Earth Student Published April 2016 www.BioInteractive.or