If 95% of all life were to die out in a volcanic extinction, what animals would survive?
I'm working on this speculative evolution project based on the science of the Future is Wild. It has three time periods. The remainder of the Cenozoic era, an Era where reptiles rule the Earth, and a third era that includes the animals that survived an extinction that killed 95% of all life on Earth. However, I'm not sure which animals could survive an extinction like that and what group of animals should be dominant next. What do you think?
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Yeah when the dinosaurs were wiped out about 70% of species on Earth ended, and what survived were the smallest things and the simplest things and also the things that could survive on fungus. Fungus thrived. Algae and Plankton thrived. Mice thrived.
Did mammals already exist then?
Cockroaches
Yeah they're invincible
In the event of a catastrophic volcanic extinction event, survival would likely favor organisms with adaptable traits and resilience to extreme conditions. While it's impossible to predict with certainty which specific animals would survive, certain groups have historically demonstrated survival capabilities in harsh environments. Species like insects, rodents, birds, and some reptiles have shown remarkable adaptability and could potentially endure such an event. Organisms with underground habitats or those capable of hibernation might have better chances of survival. The dominant survivors would likely be those with the ability to rapidly adapt to the post-extinction environment and fill ecological niches left vacant by the mass extinction. Your speculative evolution project sounds intriguing, and exploring various scenarios could provide fascinating insights into potential outcomes of such catastrophic events.
the rich guys in space would be fine for a while