Permian

Permian

Definition:

The Permian describes a period of geological history that began just over 298 million years ago, marking the last system of the Paleozoic, the oldest of the three geological eras. It took approximately 46 million years and is now divided into three series by scientists with the Cisuralium, the Guadalupium and the Lopingium, each of which is assigned several levels. In the German-speaking world, however, the Perm is divided into the departments Unterperm or Rotliegendes and Zechstein or Oberperm. The term Perm is attributed to the English scientist Roderick Murchinson, who coined it in 1841. Murchinson appealed to the Russian administrative unit Perm, as there in the Urals mountains sediment layers from this period were found and analyzed scientifically. The end of this phase is marked by the largest mass extinction (Permian-Triassic event) ever on Earth.

Climate:

The extensive glaciations that began in the Carboniferous and especially the southern regions of Gondwana, continued in the Permian. The climate in the Perm was characterized by relatively cool temperatures, with tropical conditions prevailing in many arid desert areas. The global drought in Perm led to the disappearance of huge reefs, especially in the area of ​​today's Europe, which led to the formation of extensive salt deposits.

Geology:

The red sediments, which shaped the landscapes of Peru and gave the Rotliegendem its name, arose because the dry climatic conditions prevented widespread plant growth and thus no soil formation could take place with humus. Iron remained on the surface and gradually oxidized, instead of passing through humic substances into the interior of the soil. In the Rotliegendem wide landscapes disappeared on Gondwana under huge glaciers, which were freed only in Zechstein from the thick layers of ice.
From a geological point of view, the Permian is also significant because of the emergence of the Ural Mountains, which unfolded due to the collision of Gondwana with Siberia. The Rotliegend basins created in Europe developed from rift-breaking systems that filled with volcanics and the rubble of eroded mountain masses.

Flora and Fauna (plants and animals):

Dense vegetation was found in the Permian only on the shores of large bodies of water such as lakes and rivers, in other places dominated by oxidized iron red, largely plantless soil. The vegetation consisted mainly of tree ferns and the precursors of today's coniferous trees, which could defy the barren and dry conditions.

Wildlife, on the other hand, developed rapidly in the Permian, because now not only the first beetles and many species of winged wings appeared, but also plant- and carnivorous reptiles, which could exist without large amounts of water and deposited their eggs ashore. They are considered to be direct precursors of the dinosaurs and the modern lizards. In their eggs now no longer larvae developed as in the amphibians, but young animals that were already feeding on yolk. Also the marine fauna was characterized in the Perm by a large biodiversity. Reef-forming bryozoans or mosses lived near the coast, sea urchins, ammonites and various ray-finned inhabitants inhabited the seas. However, the generally unfavorable living conditions led to a gradual disappearance of many marine species, which led again to a large mass extinction towards the end of this era. Scientists believe that between seventy and ninety percent of all sea creatures were killed.

Summary

The Permian is a section of Earth's history that lasted from about 299 million years ago to 252 million years ago.

The name 'Perm' can be traced back to the geologist Roderick Murchinson. In the Russian administrative region of Perm Murchinson investigated in the mid-19th century rock strata from this geological era.

At the end of the Permian, it was the most devastated mass extinction on earth to date. It is believed that the temperature increased by the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide (by volcanic activity), releasing bound methane reservoirs in the seas. As a result, the greenhouse effect was further intensified. Overall, the temperature rose by more than 10 ° C over a span of 200,000 years.

Between 70% and 90% of the sea dwellers fell victim to mass extinction.