The late Devonian extinction is one of the five major extinction events to have occurred on Earth. It's not unusual for scientists to argue over what causes a mass extinction event -- of the five, the ...

Paleontologists recognize five big mass extinctions in the fossil record, marked by the loss of a significant number of species in a (geologically speaking) short span of time. Theories to explain ...

At least two mass extinction events in Earth's history were likely caused by the "devastating" effects of nearby supernova explosions, a new study suggests. Researchers at Keele University say these ...