Mass extinctions over the last 500 myr: an astronomical cause?

2017/02/13 by A.D. Erlykin, David A. T. Harper, T. J. Sloan +1 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Astro and Planetary Science #Geological and Geochemical Analysis #Geology and Paleoclimatology Research

paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/pala.12283

openalex publication_date 2017/02/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29

Abstract

Abstract A Fourier analysis of the magnitudes and timing of the Phanerozoic mass extinctions ( ME s) demonstrates that many of the periodicities claimed in other analyses are not statistically significant. Moreover we show that the periodicities associated with oscillations of the Solar System about the galactic plane are too irregular to give narrow peaks in the Fourier periodograms. This leads us to conclude that, apart from possibly a small number of major events, astronomical causes for ME s can largely be ruled out.

Citations

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Cited by

• A 27.5-My underlying periodicity detected in extinction episodes of non-marine tetrapods
• Extinction event [wikipedia]