Editing Extinction event (section)

== Extinctions by severity ==
{{Main|List of extinction events}}

Extinction events can be tracked by several methods, including geological change, ecological impact, extinction vs. origination ([[speciation]]) rates, and most commonly diversity loss among [[Taxonomy|taxonomic]] units. Most early papers used [[Family (biology)|families]] as the unit of taxonomy, based on compendiums of marine animal families by [[Jack Sepkoski|Sepkoski]] (1982, 1992).<ref name="Sepkoski_1982" /><ref name="Sepkoski_1992" /> Later papers by Sepkoski and other authors switched to [[genera]], which are more precise than families and less prone to taxonomic bias or incomplete sampling relative to species.<ref name="Sepkoski_2002" /> These are several major papers estimating loss or ecological impact from fifteen commonly-discussed extinction events. Different methods used by these papers are described in the following section. The "Big Five" mass extinctions are bolded.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Extinction proportions (diversity loss) of marine genera or ecological impact in estimates of mass extinction severity
!rowspan=2|Extinction name
!rowspan=2|Age<br>([[Myr|Ma]])
!rowspan=2|Sepkoski (1996)<ref name="Sepkoski_1996" /><br>Multiple-interval<br>genera
!rowspan=2|Bambach<br>(2006)<ref name="Bambach_2006" />
!colspan=2|McGhee ''et al''. (2013)<ref name="McGhee_2013" />
!rowspan=2|Stanley (2016)<ref name="Stanley_2016" />
|-
!Taxonomic<br>loss
!Ecological<br>ranking
|-
|'''[[Late Ordovician mass extinction|Late Ordovician]] ([[Ashgill (age)|Ashgillian]] / [[Hirnantian]])'''
|445–444
|~49%
|57%{{ref label|total|d|d}}<br>(40%, 31%){{ref label|2pulse|e|e}}
|52%
|7
|42–46%
|-
|[[Lau event]] ([[Ludfordian]])
|424
|~23%
| –
|9%
|9
| –
|-
|[[Kačák Event]] ([[Eifelian]])
|388~
|~24%{{ref label|Sepgraph|a|a}}
| –
|32%
|9
| –
|-
|[[Taghanic Event]] ([[Givetian]])
|384~
|~30%{{ref label|Sepgraph|a|a}}
|28.5%
|36%
|8
| –
|-
|'''[[Late Devonian extinction|Late Devonian]]/[[Kellwasser event]] ([[Frasnian]])'''
|372
|~35%
|34.7%
|40%
|4
|16–20%
|-
|End-Devonian/[[Hangenberg event]] ([[Famennian]])
|359
|~28%{{ref label|Sepgraph|a|a}}
|31%
|50%
|7
|<13%{{ref label|noS16|f|f}}
|-
|[[Serpukhovian#Serpukhovian extinction|Serpukhovian]]
|330–325~
|~23%
|31%
|39%
|6
|13–15%
|-
|[[Capitanian mass extinction event|Capitanian]]
|260
|~47%{{ref label|Cap|b|b}}
|48%
|25%
|5
|33–35%
|-
|'''[[Permian–Triassic extinction event|Permian–Triassic]] ([[Changhsingian]])'''
|252
|~58%
|55.7%
|83%
|1
|62%
|-
|'''[[Triassic–Jurassic extinction event|Triassic–Jurassic]] ([[Rhaetian]])'''
|201
|~37%{{ref label|Norian|c|c}}
|47%{{ref label|Norian|c|c}}
|73%
|3
|N/A{{ref label|timing|g|g}}
|-
|[[Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event|Pliensbachian-Toarcian]]
|186–178
|~14%
|25%, 20%{{ref label|2pulse|e|e}}
| –
| –
| –
|-
|[[Tithonian#Tithonian extinction|End-Jurassic]] (Tithonian)
|145
|~18%
|20%
| –
| –
| –
|-
|[[Cenomanian-Turonian boundary event|Cenomanian-Turonian]]
|94
|~15%
|25%
| –
| –
| –
|-
|'''[[Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event|Cretaceous–Paleogene]] ([[Maastrichtian]])'''
|66
|~39%
|40–47%
|40%
|2
|38–40%
|-
|[[Eocene–Oligocene extinction event|Eocene–Oligocene]]
|34
|~11%
|15.6%
| –
| –
| –
|}
{{note label|Sepgraph|a|a}} Graphed but not discussed by Sepkoski (1996), considered continuous with the Late Devonian mass extinction<br>{{note label|Cap|b|b}} At the time considered continuous with the end-Permian mass extinction<br>{{note label|Norian|c|c}} Includes late [[Norian]] time slices<br>{{note label|total|d|d}} Diversity loss of both pulses calculated together<br>{{note label|2pulse|e|e}} Pulses extend over adjacent time slices, calculated separately<br>{{note label|noS16|f|f}} Considered ecologically significant, but not analyzed directly<br>{{note label|timing|g|g}} Excluded due to a lack of consensus on Late Triassic chronology