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Douglas H. Erwin

Extinction: How Life on Earth Nearly Ended 250 Million Years Ago Hardcover – February 19, 2006

by Douglas H. Erwin (Author)

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Some 250 million years ago, the earth suffered the greatest biological crisis in its history. Around 95% of all living species died out--a global catastrophe far greater than the dinosaurs' demise 65 million years ago. How this happened remains a mystery. But there are many competing theories. Some blame huge volcanic eruptions that covered an area as large as the continental United States; others argue for sudden changes in ocean levels and chemistry, including burps of methane gas; and still others cite the impact of an extraterrestrial object, similar to what caused the dinosaurs' extinction.

Extinction is a paleontological mystery story. Here, the world's foremost authority on the subject provides a fascinating overview of the evidence for and against a whole host of hypotheses concerning this cataclysmic event that unfolded at the end of the Permian.

After setting the scene, Erwin introduces the suite of possible perpetrators and the types of evidence paleontologists seek. He then unveils the actual evidence--moving from China, where much of the best evidence is found; to a look at extinction in the oceans; to the extraordinary fossil animals of the Karoo Desert of South Africa. Erwin reviews the evidence for each of the hypotheses before presenting his own view of what happened.

Although full recovery took tens of millions of years, this most massive of mass extinctions was a powerful creative force, setting the stage for the development of the world as we know it today.

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
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Princeton University Press
Publication date

February 19, 2006
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6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
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9780691005249
ISBN-13

978-0691005249
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2006"

"Theories and mysteries can be dispelled with good data from the geologic record, and Erwin (a paleobiologist at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History) offers an authoritative account of the search for these data and for the cause of the extinction. . . . Extinction provides a great reference for researchers and the interested lay reader alike."---Andrew M. Bush, Science

"Extinction is a very enjoyable read. . . . It provides a thoroughly up-to-date account of the causes of the end-Permian event and the developments in the field since 1993 as seen through the eyes of one of the key players. . . . Extinction leaves the reader with the (accurate) picture that here is a scientist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of the greatest extinction event known to science. . . . [A] readable and scholarly account."---Richard J. Twitchett, American Scientist

"Douglas Erwin's geological mystery story is engrossing. It contains a tribute to the scientific method--and also the collaborations of research. The book ends with Erwin warning that the Earth is arguably entering another mass extinction period, this time unnatural and man-made. And this time the destruction may well be total."---Lucy Sussex, The Age

"Douglas Erwin describes how life on Earth was nearly destroyed at the end of the Permian period, 250 million years ago. . . . The author . . . explain[s] what this paleontological, as well as geological, evidence can tell scientists about the dramatic and deadly shift in the Earth's environment." ― Science News

"Douglas H. Erwin, a Smithsonian paleobiologist and one of the leading experts on the Permian extinction has meticulously sifted through the evidence. . . . His accessible new book, Extinction--written, it seems, both to persuade his colleagues and to educate a lay audience--is told from the perspective of a forensic scientist trying to piece together a quarter-billion-year-old crime scene."---Joshua Foer, Washington Post Book World

"No one can tell this story better than Douglas Erwin. His book is a superbly written account of what we know about the Permian extinctions. . . . More than a geological story, this book is an excellent model of how science addresses complicated questions." ― Choice

"This book does not justify a single, accepted causal sequence of events . . . to account for the end-Permian extinction. Instead, Erwin dissects the evidence for and against each hypothesis, impartially weighing their strengths and weaknesses. Although this book may frustrate readers expecting to learn how life nearly ended 250 million years ago, it will reward them with a fascinating case study in scientific inference, a case that remains very much open."---John P. Hunter, Quarterly Review of Biology

"Erwin's book is science writing for the general public at its best and most lucid. Entertaining, informative, and thought provoking." ― Northeastern Naturalist

"Erwin offers a thorough overview of one of the most interesting problems in earth history. . . . Erwin takes the readers on an insider's journey that includes adventures in the field, tedious hours in the laboratory, and stimulating but sometimes contentious exchanges among colleagues at scientific meetings. He gives rigorous consideration to every reasonable hypothesis. . . . Erwin's short course is a professional service for geologists (like me) who have read only some of the primary literature on the end-Permian extinction."---Stephen O. Moshier, Books & Culture

"For scientists as well as general educated readers, this book enlightens its readers to the complexity of the largest biological crisis the earth has yet seen."---H.J.M. Meijer, PalArch's Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

"I recommend Extinction: How Life on Earth Nearly Ended 250 Million Years Ago to scientists and nonscientists alike. It provides a clear, comprehensive, and compelling introduction to the greatest catastrophe in the history of animal life and proposes a reasonable hypothesis for the cause of the extinction that will undoubtedly be tested vigorously with new data in the coming decade."---Jonathan L. Payne, Complexity

Review

"Douglas Erwin blends careful scholarship and graceful prose in this authoritative elucidation of Earth's greatest mass extinction. Although framed in terms of hypotheses and their tests, Erwin's story unfolds as a gripping who-done-it for the ages."―Andrew H. Knoll, Harvard University, author of Life on a Young Planet

"Douglas Erwin is the world's leading expert on the end-Permian extinction. This book will be the standard reference on this crucial event in the history of life. It is a wonderful example of science in action."―Richard Bambach, Virginia Tech

"This book provides an up-to-date review and critical appraisal of all we know about the end-Permian mass extinction, a subject that has drawn much popular attention. Complementing its solid scholarship, its friendly style enables educated general readers to get to grips with all the current debates."―Paul Wignall, University of Leeds, author of Mass Extinctions and Their Aftermaths

"In conversational prose, Douglas Erwin provides a useful roadmap to a complex scientific subject―an up-to-date treatment of the end-Permian extinction."―Michael J. Foote, University of Chicago

From the Inside Flap

"Douglas Erwin blends careful scholarship and graceful prose in this authoritative elucidation of Earth's greatest mass extinction. Although framed in terms of hypotheses and their tests, Erwin's story unfolds as a gripping who-done-it for the ages."--Andrew H. Knoll, Harvard University, author of Life on a Young Planet

"Douglas Erwin is the world's leading expert on the end-Permian extinction. This book will be the standard reference on this crucial event in the history of life. It is a wonderful example of science in action."--Richard Bambach, Virginia Tech

"This book provides an up-to-date review and critical appraisal of all we know about the end-Permian mass extinction, a subject that has drawn much popular attention. Complementing its solid scholarship, its friendly style enables educated general readers to get to grips with all the current debates."--Paul Wignall, University of Leeds, author ofMass Extinctions and Their Aftermaths

"In conversational prose, Douglas Erwin provides a useful roadmap to a complex scientific subject--an up-to-date treatment of the end-Permian extinction."--Michael J. Foote, University of Chicago

From the Back Cover

"Douglas Erwin blends careful scholarship and graceful prose in this authoritative elucidation of Earth's greatest mass extinction. Although framed in terms of hypotheses and their tests, Erwin's story unfolds as a gripping who-done-it for the ages."--Andrew H. Knoll, Harvard University, author of Life on a Young Planet

"Douglas Erwin is the world's leading expert on the end-Permian extinction. This book will be the standard reference on this crucial event in the history of life. It is a wonderful example of science in action."--Richard Bambach, Virginia Tech

"This book provides an up-to-date review and critical appraisal of all we know about the end-Permian mass extinction, a subject that has drawn much popular attention. Complementing its solid scholarship, its friendly style enables educated general readers to get to grips with all the current debates."--Paul Wignall, University of Leeds, author ofMass Extinctions and Their Aftermaths

"In conversational prose, Douglas Erwin provides a useful roadmap to a complex scientific subject--an up-to-date treatment of the end-Permian extinction."--Michael J. Foote, University of Chicago

About the Author

Douglas H. Erwin is senior scientist and curator in the Department of Paleobiology at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and an external faculty member of the Santa Fe Institute. He began researching the end-Permian mass extinction in the early 1980s and has traveled many times to China, South Africa, and Europe seeking its causes.

From The Washington Post

The last time Earth experienced a mass extinction, some 65 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period, there is little doubt about what happened. A humongous meteor slammed into the Yucatan Peninsula, incinerating everything around for thousands of miles. Plumes of vaporized rock blanketed the planet in a layer of thick ash, blocking the sun and choking off photosynthesis. The entire global ecosystem virtually collapsed in a geological eye-blink. Though the dinosaurs might find it crass to say so, the late Cretaceous cataclysm that did them in was a planetary bad hair day compared to the mass extinction that occurred some 250 million years ago, at the end of the Permian period. The Permian event is probably the closest that life on Earth ever came to being completely extinguished. Around 95 percent of marine species and 70 percent of terrestrial vertebrates were wiped out -- a greater percentage of the Earth's species than the next two largest mass extinctions combined. The break in the fossil record at the Permian boundary is so severe that 19th-century geologists saw it as evidence of two completely separate creations of life. Just what caused this apocalypse is one of science's great unsolved riddles. Over the years, a cottage industry of Permian speculators has pointed the finger at just about every conceivable culprit. The list of indicted suspects includes -- take a deep breath -- plate tectonics, volcanoes, glaciation, a meteor, a supernova, a massive methane burp from the depths of the sea, oxygen-deprived oceans, an overly complex global ecosystem that collapsed under its own weight and, most fantastic of all, a buildup of cancer-inducing dark matter in the Earth's core. Dream up a way of killing off life on Earth, and chances are some reputable scientist has already proposed it as a cause of the Permian extinction. Douglas H. Erwin, a Smithsonian paleobiologist and one of the leading experts on the Permian extinction, has meticulously sifted through the evidence for each of these hypothetical culprits. His accessible new book, Extinction -- written, it seems, both to persuade his colleagues and to educate a lay audience -- is told from the perspective of a forensic scientist trying to piece together a quarter-billion-year-old crime scene from an impossibly scant body of clues. It unfolds as a sort of geological mystery story. An extraterrestrial impact, like the one that killed off the dinosaurs, is perhaps the most attractive hypothesis, one favored by many scientists because it's both elegant and plausible. But no one has ever found the telltale signs of impact -- a spike in iridium (a metal rare on Earth but common in meteorites) and shocked quartz crystals -- that are present in rocks dating back to the Cretaceous extinction. Unlike the meteor that annihilated the dinosaurs, whatever killed off the Permian fauna apparently left no smoking gun. But it left some suggestive pieces of circumstantial evidence. The Permian extinction happens to have coincided with the million-year-long eruption of the Siberian flood basalts, one of the most massive volcanic events in the last 600 million years. Those eruptions spilled magma across an area larger than the continental United States -- in some places as deep as six kilometers. It's hard to say what volcanism on that scale would do to the planet or what might have caused it, but the large amounts of dust and carbon dioxide vented into the atmosphere would probably have created a very unpleasant environment. The problem facing geologists is how to distinguish cause from coincidence. The Permian also happens to have coincided with the formation of the massive supercontinent Pangea. Species that had previously existed in isolation suddenly had to compete against one another, and, according to one theory, this competition forced much of the planet's biodiversity out of business. Other scientists speculate that the formation of Pangea could have severely affected the global climate. Proximity to water moderates the weather, which means that a supercontinent with vast, land-locked spaces would have had nasty seasons -- think Siberia, but much, much worse. But nasty enough to knock out most of the life on Earth? For a long time, scientists assumed the Permian extinction was a drawn-out affair. Recently, however, a consensus has emerged that the extinction probably occurred in two waves, separated by about 10 million years, and that the second, more brutal wave probably happened over no more than 180,000 years and possibly much faster -- practically a split second in geological time. The speed of the extinction would seem to rule out gradual processes like plate tectonics as the culprit, but with the Permian extinction, it's hard to rule out anything. The mystery is too deep, the evidence too scarce, the plausible causes too many. Unlike some of his colleagues, Erwin is humble enough not to pretend to know what happened at the end of the Permian. His whodunit ends the way it begins -- not with a conviction but a question mark. Joshua Foer is working on a book about the science of memory.

Reviewed by Joshua Foer
Copyright 2006, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0691005249
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Princeton University Press (February 19, 2006)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780691005249
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0691005249
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,110,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #928 in Paleontology (Books)
- #2,733 in Geology (Books)
- #341,681 in History (Books)

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4.2 29 ratings

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A real science mystery

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 18, 2009

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This book reads like a murder mystery, with the victim being 95% of all marine life and 70% of terrestrial vertebrates species. This crime, the Permian Extinction, occurred over 250 million years ago but still has not been solved. The author Douglas Erwin, a paleobiologist who has been working on the extinction for the past few decades, identifies identifies possible culprits and the known evidence, but ultimately comes to no conclusion. This makes the book both exciting and fresh (even three years after its initial publication).

Erwin names six possible culprits to the extinction:

1) a meteor/comet impact, similar to the one that killed the dinosaurs;
2) climatic changes from massive volcanic flood basalts in Siberia;
3) invasion of invasive species following the creation of the supercontinent Pangea;
4) glaciations causing global cooling and a fall in sea level;
5) disappearance of oxygen from the oceans (anoxia); and
6) a combination of the above.

Because the extinction happened so quickly (estimated less than 160,000 years), he suggests that explanation 3, 4, and 6 are less likely. He also isn't convinced by the evidence of a large meteor impact (1) around this time. Furthermore, explanation 5 does not account for the extinctions on land. Thus, the book tentatively concludes that the volcanic flood basalts seem to have played the largest role in the extinction, perhaps by causing runaway global warming.

This is a science book, not a book about the scientists. Too many popular books about paleontology, especially those written by journalists, seem to focus on the scientists themselves rather than the actual science. Fortunately, Erwin goes deep into the scientific evidence and presents detailed arguments for each explanation.

Perhaps more important than the hard scientific evidence (which may well become outdated by the time you read the book, if it hasn't already), Erwin does a magnificent job showing the process and reasoning that goes into collecting and interpreting the evidence. Rather than state his interpretation of the evidence, Erwin takes the reader through the existing evidence and the questions or concerns he has with it. Most of the book consists of his summary of paleobiologists' toolkit and the research on the Permian extinction. He only brings the evidence together to discuss the potential culprits in the last few chapters. However, by writing the book this way, the reader is able to assess the evidence for himself.

Erwin's style also encourages readers to keep a healthy sense of doubt, especially since more than once he admits his past positions on the extinction were probably wrong. In fact, he does suggest that more evidence regarding a meteor impact has recently emerged and may contradict his "preferred" theory.

Overall this is a very interesting book, but is a long read, especially for those readers who - like me - have no formal training in paleontology or geology. However, the books provides a great science education for those willing to put in the time.

5 people found this helpful

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tom williams

Extinction: How Life on Earth Nearly Ended 250M Yrs Ago

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 20, 2009

Verified Purchase

While the subject matter in the book may seem a bit dry to some, and lacks the pizzazz of the story of the Dinosaur Killer Asteroid at the end of the Cretacious, I have found it quite riveting. Dr Erwin obviously knows his stuff on the subject, and has put together a truly excellent rundown on current popular theories of how it all happened. He goes the full extent of being fair and pretty unbiased as to what was the proximate cause of the most extensive extinction event in Earth's history. He goes into very extensive detail on the different theories; the meteor impact, general climate change, ocean water anoxia, and several other possible causes of the disaster. This is not a book for those who are the average reader. It is quite scholarly, and remarkably succinct in describing the possible causes and effects of things that happened back then. A great detective story, but you need to be able to handle a book that describes a truly important event, but without many great moments if you're the type of person who likes their history in great moments.
I'm quite glad I bought it.

One person found this helpful

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Alexander

For Scientist and non-Scientist alike

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 15, 2012

Verified Purchase

The author does a fine job explaining the possible causation of the Permo-Triassic extinction. He keeps the necessary technical babble to a minimum, making this book (mostly) accessible to any lay person. Some of the charts were confusing to me, but I got the gist of things. The chapters are well organized, and his method of making the book a "geological mystery" is very well executed.

I also appreciate the author's introspective style; he doesn't have all the answers, nor does he pretend to. Credit is given to fellow geologists for their field and lab work, and overall the reader gets a good sense of life (and death) on this planet 250 million years ago.

If I were a paleontologist, no doubt this would be a 5 star read. As is, it's an excellent overview of a very intriguing period of time in our planet's history that anyone can enjoy, regardless of their level of knowledge for the subject at hand.

I am keeping this book nearby as I plan to re-read it in the near future; I found it that engaging.

2 people found this helpful

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GTHW

Comprehensive coverage of the subject

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 1, 2013

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An enjoyable and enlightening read.

I had been interested in the subject for some time. This book gave a comprehensive coverage written in a style that addresses the layman yet with depth on key technical issues.

Author provided a balanced view on what caused the exctinction and did not force a simple explanation, while presenting his personal opinion on the most probable cause(s). This greatest Mass Extinction event remains a mystery and fascination.

One person found this helpful

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tpm333

Excellent service from Used Book Superstore

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 8, 2021

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Book was shipped quickly and even had an acetate sleeve to protect it which was a nice touch.

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Lumpy

Some self-aggrandizing here...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 17, 2006

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It is always gratifying to see popular books about science get rave reviews because we scientists benefit from public enthusiasm about what we do. Erwin has a chatty and disarming style that is a joy to read. Unfortunately, it is a public disservice to distort reality as Erwin has done in this book. In depicting his role in the whodunit, Erwin has liberally embellished his own contributions and those of his colleagues. After proclaiming for years that the extinction was unrelated to the Siberian volcanism, this book now implies that such a relationship was his idea. The whitewashing treatment of his team's blunder in misdating the extinction and related events is worthy of the most guileful politician explaining away some scandalous act.

As long as you don't mind the plethora of factual errors and self-promotional aspects, it is a fine book. Unfortunately, it will not weather history well.

17 people found this helpful

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Nick Candoros

Interesting but heavily technical and not very well structured

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 19, 2006

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I was somewhat disappointed by the book. And not because of the subject which could not be more interesting: What happened at the end of the Permian (c.250 million years ago) and over 95% of all living organisms became extinct? The problem nags paleontologists for decades and no thoroughly satisfying scientific explanation is in view.
So, why the disappointment? Firstly, I was expecting a more biological approach instead of the physics/chemistry/geology one I got. I understand of course that a problem of this magnitude covers, by default, multiple scientific disciplines, but that did little to alleviate the difficulty I had, navigating many of the book's passages. And I stayed positively starved from the point of biology. Only one or two of the period's various complex ecosystems and food webs are described in some detail. There are additional biological glimpses, in various chapters, lost in a sea of Geology and Climate data, but I was expecting much more in that line.
Secondly we have a problem of structuring. The author in the first chapters presents, in summary, the various proposed theories about the whys and how's of this tremendous extinction (extensive volcanism, giant meteor(s), oceanic anoxia etc.) but then fails to develop each theory in detail in a consistent manner e.g. one per chapter. Of course he touches them within the book but again I did not manage to get a good grasp of the pros and cons of each scientific proposal. The final chapters try to summarize things and present the author's personal pet theory, but the whole point is somewhat muddled.
The text is well written, the subject is definitely hot, the data are mostly there but you have a rough time structuring them in order to gain a measure of systematic knowledge. And the biological data poverty does not help a bit.

15 people found this helpful

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