| Late Ordovician | 1st Mass Extinction | This event occurred around 443 million years ago due to a severe ice age that resulted in sea level fall. Nearly 86% of species were extinct. |
| Late Devonian | 2nd Mass Extinction | Beginning around 372 million years ago, this was a prolonged event likely due to erratic climate change, which led to the death of about 75% of species. |
| End Permian | 3rd Mass Extinction | This happened approximately 252 million years ago and is known as ‘The Great Dying’, as it wiped out about 96% of marine species due to a combination of volcanic eruptions and subsequent climate change. |
| End Triassic | 4th Mass Extinction | This occurred about 201 million years ago and it is believed to have been caused by volcanic eruptions leading to severe global climate change, accounting for the extinction of up to 80% of all species. |
| Late Cretaceous | 5th Mass Extinction | This event around 66 million years ago, famously known for the extinction of the dinosaurs, was believed to have been caused by an asteroid or meteor impact. Around 76% of all species became extinct. |
| Current Period | 6th Mass Extinction | Also known as the Holocene or Anthropocene extinction, it is currently ongoing and began 10,000 years ago due to human activity. The rate of extinction is estimated to be 1000 times the natural background rate. |
