The THIRD mass extinction event happened around 250 million years ago as the Earth underwent a dramatic transformation as the supercontinent Pangea was formed. Temperatures naturally rose with the increased volcanic activity, ocean currents shifted as the continental plates moved towards each other, and entire ecosystems were destroyed in the process. Nothing was safe from this devastation: Not trees, plants, lizards, proto-mammals, insects, fish, mollusks, or even microbes. This 200,000 year process eliminated about 90% of all species on earth, which is why it’s also called “The Great Dying”.