title: Calibrating the end-Permian mass extinction.
abstract: The end-Permian mass extinction was the most severe biodiversity crisis in Earth history. To better constrain the timing, and ultimately the causes of this event, we collected a suite of geochronologic, isotopic, and biostratigraphic data on several well-preserved sedimentary sections in South China. High-precision U-Pb dating reveals that the extinction peak occurred just before 252.28 ± 0.08 million years ago, after a decline of 2 per mil (‰) in δ(13)C over 90,000 years, and coincided with a δ(13)C excursion of -5‰ that is estimated to have lasted ≤20,000 years. The extinction interval was less than 200,000 years and synchronous in marine and terrestrial realms; associated charcoal-rich and soot-bearing layers indicate widespread wildfires on land. A massive release of thermogenic carbon dioxide and/or methane may have caused the catastrophic extinction.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Nanjing 210008, China. szshen@nigpas.ac.cn
authors.forename: Shu-zhong
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Crowley
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Samuel A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bowring
authors.forename: Douglas H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Erwin
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Sadler
authors.forename: Chang-qun
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Daniel H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Rothman
authors.forename: Charles M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: Jahandar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramezani
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yanan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Xiang-dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Wen-zhong
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yue-gang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Xiao-lei
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lu-jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Yao-fa
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yu-gan
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002681:China; D017753:Ecosystem; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D005390:Fires; D005580:Fossils; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000145:classification; D007554:Isotopes; D007854:Lead; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008697:Methane; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010944:Plants / Q000145:classification; D011865:Radioisotope Dilution Technique; D055110:Radiometric Dating; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D013995:Time; D014501:Uranium; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000145:classification
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D007554:Isotopes; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D007854:Lead; D014501:Uranium; D008697:Methane