00:00Did you know that 250 million years ago, over 90% of life on Earth was wiped out?
00:05And no, it wasn't an asteroid or tsunami.
00:08It all began in the ocean.
00:09This event, known as the Great Dying, was deadlier than the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.
00:15Researchers believe it was caused by extreme volcanic activity in what we now call the Siberian Traps.
00:21But that's not the full story.
00:22Recent research suggests that intense, prolonged El Niño events played a crucial role in this extinction.
00:29These mega El Niños caused wild weather swings, extreme droughts followed by flooding,
00:33making it impossible for life to adapt.
00:36Imagine this.
00:37As temperatures soared, forests died, releasing more carbon dioxide.
00:41This created a feedback loop, making the planet even hotter.
00:45Meanwhile, marine creatures tried to survive by migrating, but it wasn't enough.
00:49El Niños grew stronger, lasting decades.
00:52The ocean spoiled, and on land, almost everything died.
00:55Life as we know it barely survived.
00:58Yet this catastrophe paved the way for dinosaurs and, much later,
01:01it's mind-blowing to think that without this event, humans might never have existed.
01:06The Great Dying nearly ended life on Earth, but it also shaped the world we live in today.
01:11Crazy, right?
01:12Want to know more about how Earth's past shaped its future?
01:15Stay updated on more fascinating stories from history.
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