DOI: 10.1073/pnas.81.3.801. Periodicity of extinctions in the geologic past.

Periodicity of extinctions in the geologic past.

10.1073/pnas.81.3.801

Crossref journal-article

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (341)

Abstract

The temporal distribution of the major extinctions over the past 250 million years has been investigated statistically using various forms of time series analysis. The analyzed record is based on variation in extinction intensity for fossil families of marine vertebrates, invertebrates, and protozoans and contains 12 extinction events. The 12 events show a statistically significant periodicity (P less than 0.01) with a mean interval between events of 26 million years. Two of the events coincide with extinctions that have been previously linked to meteorite impacts (terminal Cretaceous and Late Eocene). Although the causes of the periodicity are unknown, it is possible that they are related to extraterrestrial forces (solar, solar system, or galactic).

Bibliography

Raup, D. M., & Sepkoski, J. J. (1984). Periodicity of extinctions in the geologic past. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 81(3), 801â805.

Authors 2

D M Raup (first)
J J Sepkoski (additional)

References 0 Referenced 645

None

Dates

Type	When
Created	19 years, 2 months ago (May 31, 2006, 5:36 a.m.)
Deposited	3 years, 4 months ago (April 13, 2022, 11:45 a.m.)
Indexed	3 weeks, 2 days ago (Aug. 2, 2025, 1:28 a.m.)
Issued	41 years, 6 months ago (Feb. 1, 1984)
Published	41 years, 6 months ago (Feb. 1, 1984)
Published Online	41 years, 6 months ago (Feb. 1, 1984)
Published Print	41 years, 6 months ago (Feb. 1, 1984)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Raup_1984, title={Periodicity of extinctions in the geologic past.}, volume={81}, ISSN={1091-6490}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.81.3.801}, DOI={10.1073/pnas.81.3.801}, number={3}, journal={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, publisher={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, author={Raup, D M and Sepkoski, J J}, year={1984}, month=feb, pages={801–805} }

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