Permian

The Permian Period lasted from 299 to 252 million years ago, representing the final chapter of the Paleozoic Era. During this time, Earth's continents fully merged into the singular, immense supercontinent of Pangea. This vast landmass created extreme inland climates, ranging from frozen wastes to scorching deserts. On land, seed-bearing plants like conifers flourished, and advanced reptile-like ancestors called synapsids became the dominant terrestrial vertebrates. Among them was Dimetrodon, a creature featuring a large dorsal sail. The Permian closed with the most catastrophic event in Earth’s history: the Permian-Triassic mass extinction, often called the "Great Dying". Driven by colossal volcanic eruptions in modern Siberia, global temperatures spiked, oceans acidified, and oxygen levels plummeted. This environmental collapse wiped out over 90 percent of marine species and 70 percent of land vertebrates, completely resetting global evolution.