[gleeaikin]

Finally got my Google back and found this very nice time line article for all Earth’s history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detailed_logarithmic_timeline

Here are a great many interesting charts regarding extinction events and related. If you look at the first chart, first row, you can see a charted labeled Marine Extinctions in blue. It clearly shows a two phase, or ongoing series of extinctions toward the end of the Permian. The second chart in the second line, in orange allows shows a similar wide time period of extinctions for the late Permian. So it appears that the Capitanian falls in this period but the biggest extinction was at the 250 mya time line. I don’t know how to transfer these images. Perhaps someone else could do it?

https://www.google.com/search?q=permian+extinction+timeline+charts&num=50&newwindow=1&safe=off&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=01YzVbruMY6TsQTW6IHABw&ved=0CB4QsAQ&biw=1600&bih=775

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks gleeaikin. The Capitanian is aka Middle Permian.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitanian

Looks like a marine extinction, that is, zero to do with an atmospheric volcano — IOW, possibly a submarine volcano, but more likely a sea surface impact.

http://www.science20.com/news_articles/big_6_capitanian_extinction_gets_new_evidence-154854

[TigersEye]

Thanks gleeaikin. This is interesting stuff. I had no idea there were so many extinction events. They usually only talk about the big ones.