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Megalodon may have been killed off by Supernova radiation, Hannah Osborne, Newsweek, December 13, 2018 https://www.newsweek.com/megalodon-extinct-shark-supernova-cosmic-ray-cancer-mutations-1256980 Massive supernova explosion may have wiped out giant prehistoric sharks, scientists say. Megalodon may have been among creatures driven to extinction after cosmic particles drove up cancer rates, new study claims The Independent, Josh Gabbatiss, December 2018 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/supernova-stars-explosion-giant-sharks-prehistoric-megalodon-extinction-science-a8679636.html The paper is: Adrian L. Melott, Franciole Marinho, and Laura Paulucci 2018, Hypothesis: Muon Radiation Dose and Marine Megafaunal Extinction at the End-Pliocene Supernova. Astrobiology, Published Online, November 27, 2018 https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1902 and at Muon Radiation Dose and Marine Megafaunal Extinction at the end-Pliocene Supernova Adrian L. Melott (Kansas), Franciole Marinho, Laura Paulucci (Submitted on 26 Dec 2017 (v1), last revised 17 Oct 2018 (this version, v2)) https://arxiv.org/pdf/1712.09367.pdf https://arxiv.org/abs/1712.09367 Yours, Paul H.

Kornei, K. (2018), Tiny algae may have prompted a mass extinction, Eos, 99, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EO102539. Published on 11 July 2018. https://eos.org/articles/tiny-algae-may-have-prompted-a-mass-extinction https://eos.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/eos0918.pdf?x69145 https://eos.org/current-issues The paper is; Shen, J., Pearson, A., Henkes, G.A., Zhang, Y.G., Chen, K., Li, D., Wankel, S.D., Finney, S.C. and Shen, Y., 2018. Improved efficiency of the biological pump as a trigger for the Late Ordovician glaciation. Nature Geoscience, 11(7), p.510. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-018-0141-5 Yours, Paul H.

Near-Earth Supernova Explosions (When Stars Attack! ) In Search of Near-Earth Supernova Explosions Brian Fields, KU Physics & Astronomy Public Talks, Published on Apr 20, 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND6u4Rnq0g0 Related papers are: Breitschwerdt, D., Feige, J., Schulreich, M.M., de Avillez, M.A., Dettbarn, C. and Fuchs, B., 2016. The locations of recent supernovae near the Sun from modelling 60 Fe transport. Nature, 532(7597), p. 73-78. https://www.earth.northwestern.edu/people/seth/351/breitschwerdt.pdf https://www.nature.com/articles/nature17424 Fields, B.D. and Ellis, J., 1999. On deep-ocean 60Fe as a fossil of a near-earth supernova. New Astronomy, 4(6), pp. 419-430. https://arxiv.org/pdf/astro-ph/9811457.pdf https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1384107699000342 Fry, B.J., Fields, B.D. and Ellis, J.R., 2015. Astrophysical shrapnel: Discriminating among near-earth stellar explosion sources of live radioactive isotopes. The Astrophysical Journal, 800(1), 17 pp. https://arxiv.org/pdf/1405.4310.pdf http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/800/1/71/meta Wallner, A., Feige, J., Kinoshita, N., Paul, M., Fifield, L.K., Golser, R., Honda, M., Linnemann, U., Matsuzaki, H., Merchel, S. and Rugel, G., 2016. Recent near- Earth supernovae probed by global deposition of interstellar radioactive 60 Fe. Nature, 532(7597), pp. 69-72. Yours, Paul H.

The Nastiest Feud in Science A Princeton geologist has endured decades of ridicule for arguing that the fifth extinction was caused not by an asteroid but by a series of colossal volcanic eruptions. But sheʼs reopened that debate. Bianca Bosker, The Atlantic, September 2018 https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/09/dinosaur-extinction-debate/565769/ Gerta Keller, Professor of Geosciences http://gkeller.princeton.edu/ Yours, Paul H.

Mercury Rising: New evidence that volcanism triggered the late Devonian extinction, Geological Society of America, May 1, 2018 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180501161805.htm Volcanic Eruptions Led to Mass Extinction 370 Million Years Ago http://www.sci-news.com/geology/volcanic-eruptions-late-devonian-mass-extinction-05967.html The abstract is: Grzegorz Racki, Michał Rakociński, Leszek Marynowski, Paul B. Wignall. Mercury enrichments and the Frasnian- Famennian biotic crisis: A volcanic trigger proved? Geology, 2018; DOI: 10.1130/G40233.1 https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article-abstract/530692/mercury-enrichments-and-the-frasnian-famennian Related papers are: Courtillot, V., Kravchinsky, V.A., Quidelleur, X., Renne, P.R. and Gladkochub, D.P., 2010. Preliminary dating of the Viluy traps (Eastern Siberia): Eruption at the time of Late Devonian extinction events?. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 300(3-4), pp. 239-245. https://sites.ualberta.ca/~vadim/Publications-Kravchinsky.htm https://sites.ualberta.ca/~vadim/Publications-Kravchinsky_files/2010-Courtillot et al - Preliminary dating of the Viluy traps.pdf Kravchinsky, V.A., 2012. Paleozoic large igneous provinces of Northern Eurasia: correlation with mass extinction events. Global and Planetary Change, 86, pp. 31-36. https://sites.ualberta.ca/~vadim/Publications-Kravchinsky.htm https://sites.ualberta.ca/~vadim/Publications-Kravchinsky_files/2012-Kravchinsky - Paleozoic large igneous provinces of Northern Eurasia- Correlation with mass extinction events.pdf Ricci, J., Quidelleur, X., Pavlov, V., Orlov, S., Shatsillo, A. and Courtillot, V., 2013. New 40Ar/39Ar and K–Ar ages of the Viluy traps (Eastern Siberia): further evidence for a relationship with the Frasnian–Famennian mass extinction. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 386, pp. 531-540. http://paleomag-ifz.ru/en/articles?page=1 http://www.paleomag-ifz.ru/sites/default/files/articles/ricci_et_al.pdf Carmichael, S.K., Waters, J.A., Batchelor, C.J., Coleman, D.M., Suttner, T.J., Kido, E., Moore, L.M. and Chadimová, L., 2016. Climate instability and tipping points in the Late Devonian: detection of the Hangenberg Event in an open oceanic island arc in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. Gondwana Research, 32, pp. 213-231. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/270e/8f86bcc9677b802e049640d2dc8f8ab01652.pdf Yours, Paul H.

Dinosaurs ended - and originated - with a bang ? In the new paper, published today in Nature Communications, evidence is provided to match the two events – the mass extinction, called the Carnian Pluvial Episode, and the initial diversification of dinosaurs Press release http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2018/april/dinosaurs-ended-and-originated-with-a-bang-.html Paper https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-03996-1

Did Ice Age Cause Mastodon Extinction? New Research Suggest Several Causes Central Washington University, Oct. 29, 2017 http://www.cwu.edu/did-ice-age-cause-mastodon-extinction-new-research-suggest-several-causes Emery-Wetherell, Meaghan M., Brianna K. McHorse, and Edward Byrd Davis. "Spatially explicit analysis sheds new light on the Pleistocene megafaunal extinction in North America." Paleobiology (2017): 1-14. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319333874_Spatially_explicit_analysis_sheds_new_light_on_the_Pleistocene_megafaunal_extinction_in_North_America https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/paleobiology/article/spatially-explicit-analysis-sheds-new-light-on-the-pleistocene-megafaunal-extinction-in-north-america/ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/paleobiology/article/spatially-explicit-analysis-sheds-new-light-on-the-pleistocene-megafaunal-extinction-in-north-america/A3EBE9B5067CFFB821F4EDC81962421D Another paper is: Brault, M.O., Mysak, L.A., Matthews, H.D. and Simmons, C.T., 2013. Assessing the impact of late Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions on global vegetation and climate. Climate of the Past, 9(4), p.1761. https://www.clim-past.net/9/1761/2013/cp-9-1761-2013.pdf https://search.proquest.com/docview/1430895281?pq-origsite=gscholar http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.799.8882&rep=rep1&type=pdf Yours, Paul H.

Asteroid impact plunged dinosaurs into catastrophic 'winter' By Jonathan Amos, BBC, October 31, 2017 http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41825471 Dinosaur-killing asteroid impact cooled Earth's climate more than previously thought. PhysOrg, October 31, 2017 https://phys.org/news/2017-10-dinosaur-killing-asteroid-impact-cooled-earth.html The paper is: Artemieva, N., et al, 2017, Quantifying the Release of Climate-Active Gases by Large Meteorite Impacts With a Case Study of Chicxulub. Geophysical Research Letters (2017). DOI: 10.1002/2017GL074879 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017GL074879/abstract A related paper is: Pierazzo, E. and Artemieva, N., 2012. Local and global environmental effects of impacts on Earth. Elements, 8(1), pp.55-60. http://users.unimi.it/paleomag/geo2/Pierazzo&Artemieva2012.pdf Yours, Paul H.

Interesting open access paper on mass extinctions. Jones, D. S., A. M. Martini, D. A. Fike, and K. Kaiho, 2017, A volcanic trigger for the Late Ordovician mass extinction? Mercury data from south China and Laurentia. Geology v. 45; no. 7; p. 631–634 http://geology.geoscienceworld.org.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/content/45/7/631 http://geology.geoscienceworld.org.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/content/45/7 Yours, Paul H.

Falkland Islands basin shows signs of being among world's largest craters, New York University, May 4, 2017 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170504131658.htm Falkland Islands basin shows signs of being among world's largest craters, Engineering, Science and Technology Research New York University, May 4, 2017 http://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2017/may/falkland-islands-basin-shows-signs-of-being-among-worlds-largest.html The paper is: Rocca, M.C., Rampino, M.R. and Báez Presser, J.L., 2017. Geophysical evidence for a large impact structure on the Falkland (Malvinas) Plateau. Terra Nova. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ter.12269/abstract Another paper is: Rocca, M. C. L., & Baez Presser, J. L., 2015. A possible new very large impact structure in Islas Malvinas. Historia Natural, Tercera Serie, 5, 121–133. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283123311_A_POSSIBLE_NEW_VERY_LARGE_IMPACT_STRUCTURE_IN_MALVINAS_ISLANDS yours, Paul H.

After Earth’s Worst Mass Extinction, Life Rebounded Rapidly, Fossils Suggest, Trilobites, Nichlos ST. Fleur, New york times, Feb. 16, 2017 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/science/great-dying-permian-extinction-fossils.html New fossil discovery suggests sea life bounced back after the 'Great Dying' faster than thought, PhysOrg, February 16, 2017 https://phys.org/news/2017-02-fossil-discovery-sea-life-great.html The paper is: Brayard, A., Krumenacker, L.J., Botting, J.P., Jenks, J.F., Bylund, K.G., Fara, E., Vennin, E., Olivier, N., Goudemand, N., Saucède, T. and Charbonnier, S., 2017. Unexpected Early Triassic marine ecosystem and the rise of the Modern evolutionary fauna. Science Advances, 3(2), p.e1602159. http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/2/e1602159 Yours, Paul H.

End-Permian mass extinction was not so massive By Belinda Smith, Cosmos Magazine https://cosmosmagazine.com/palaeontology/mass-extinctions-were-not-so-massive-study "US paleontologists states once the dust settled following the 'great dying' around 250 million years ago, nearly 20% of species remained – not 4%. Belinda Smith reports." Paleontologist suggests 'great dying' 252 million years ago wasn't as bad as thought, October 4, 2016 http://phys.org/news/2016-10-paleontologist-great-dying-million-years.html The paper is: Stanley, S. M., 2016, Estimates of the magnitudes of major marine mass extinctions in earth history. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, US, vol. 113 no. 42 E6325-E6334 http://www.pnas.org/content/113/42/E6325 Yours, Paul H.