Marine life quickly recovered after global mass extinction

Science Daily ^ | 6/17/2016 | Becky Oskin

[JimSEA]

Reptiles rapidly invaded the seas soon after a global extinction wiped out most life on Earth, according to a new study led by University of California, Davis, researchers.

Global climate change -- likely triggered by massive volcanic eruptions -- killed off more than 95 percent of all species about 250 million years ago, at the end of the Permian period. Land reptiles colonized the ocean in just 3.35 million years at the beginning of the Triassic, a speedy recovery in geologic time, the researchers report in the journal Scientific Reports.

"Our results fit with the emerging view that the recovery was faster than previously thought," said study co-author Ryosuke Motani, professor of paleobiology at UC Davis' Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

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The oldest marine reptile fossils appeared 248.81 million years ago, the most precise date yet, according to the study. These pioneering marine reptiles, including the dolphin-like ichthyosaurs and sauropterygians, went on to rule the Mesozoic seas during the era of the dinosaurs

[JimSEA]

Yes, that is thought to have been so but they put out a lot of CO2 as well and particularly when they ignited massive coal seams. CO2 is always one of the gases as is water vapor. Methane is nasty enough. You’ve also got varying amounts of sulfur. Global cooling is a potential if there is a lot of ash and sulfur. You can’t just say that a volcano will cause short term cooling or long term heating. There are a lot of variables. I think with the end Permian the geologic record from the sediments to the fossils will eventually settle the argument -— Oops, I forgot, nothing is ever settled.

[BroJoeK]

TigersEye: "Most of the last 10,000 years were warmer."

Thanks for a great link.
Note the named warm periods below:

1. Minoan warming
2. Roman warming
3. Medieval warming

[TigersEye]

Looking at that chart the first questions that come to my mind are; What’s going on with the Little Ice Age? Why is the climate seemingly stuck at such a low temp.? Is this an indication that we’re on the verge of the next glacial period?

There is nothing there that gives even the remotest indication of a problem with temps that are too warm.