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Eons
When Giant Amphibians Reigned
Season 1
Episode 60
Temnospondyls were a huge group of amphibians that existed for 210 million years. And calling them ‘diverse’ would be putting it mildly. Yet in the end, two major threats would push them to extinction: the always-changing climate and the amniote egg.
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Life begins to rebound after the destruction of the mass extinction ending the Permian Period.
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An apocalypse ended the Permian Period 252 million years ago, wiping out more than 80% of species.
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An extinction in the Middle Permian decimates life, from a fossil reef to our ancient relatives.
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The first herbivorous vertebrates evolve on the side of the amniote family tree leading to mammals.
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Seed plants and amniotes adapt to dry climates, helping them thrive on Pangea in the Permian Period.
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Why did vertebrates conquer both the land and the air before the depths of the sea?
8:27
Long-extinct dinosaurs may still haunt us—possibly driving us to age faster than any vertebrate.