Triassic-Jurassic Extinction (201 million years ago)

The Triassic-Jurassic Extinction ranks among the 'Big Five' mass extinctions in Earth's history, wiping out roughly 70 to 75% of species. Massive volcanic eruptions from the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province pumped enormous volumes of CO2 and sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere in pulses over some 600,000 years, triggering catastrophic global warming and ocean acidification. The extinction eliminated many large terrestrial amphibians and reptiles, while life in the seas suffered heavy losses.