A recent study suggests that a combination of volcanic eruptions and ocean detoxification caused a mass extinction in the Late Devonian era. This theory unifies two competing theories into a single cause-and-effect scenario. 

The mass extinction occurred around 359 million years ago. It caused the loss of: 

• 20% of all animal families 
• 70-80% of all animal species 
• Tabulate corals 
• Stromatoporoids 

Other theories for the mass extinction include: 

• Global cooling caused by large-scale volcanic eruptions 
• Mass deoxygenation caused by the expansion of land plants 
• A nearby supernova explosion 
• Meteors 
• The evolution of new plants that affected soil chemistry

Some scientists argue the Late Devonian mass extinction was caused by large-scale volcanic eruptions, causing global cooling. Others argue a mass deoxygenation event caused by the expansion of land plants was to blame

Summary: A recently published study puts forth a new theory that volcanic eruptions combined with widespread ocean detoxification pushed Earth’s biology to a tipping point in the Late Devonian era, triggering a mass extinction

The Late Devonian extinction had several effects, including: 

• Biodiversity loss 
• Floral crisis 
• Collapse of reef ecosystems 
• Loss of 20% of marine families 
• Extinction of jawless fish, brachiopods, ammonites, and trilobites 

The extinction also affected early lobe-finned fishes and tetrapod vertebrates

Other species affected by the Late Devonian extinction include: 

Placoderms, Acanthodians, Agnathans, Conodonts, Rugose corals, Stromatoporoids. 

The extinction also affected reef-building organisms, which almost completely disappeared

Changes in the late Devonian hit shallow, warm waters extremely hard and fossil records indicate that this is where the most extinction occurred. In all, about 20% of all marine families went extinct. Groups particularly impacted included jawless fish, brachiopods, ammonites, and trilobites

After the Devonian extinction, the following animals dominated: 

Tetrapods, Actinopterygians, Chondrichthyans, Amphibians, Land insects, Vertebrates with jaws. 

The Devonian extinction also led to the emergence of: 

• Ray-finned fish 
• Cartilaginous fish 
• Land-bound tetrapods

Answer and Explanation: The most prevalent land organisms that succeeded in the wake of the Devonian extinction were amphibians, a relatively new class of life that had only recently begun to exploit terrestrial ecosystems

A second mass extinction called the Hangenberg event, also known as the end-Devonian extinction, occurred 359 million years ago, bringing an end to the Famennian and Devonian, as the world transitioned into the Carboniferous Period

Some fossils from the Devonian period include: 

• Trilobites These extinct marine arthropods were one of the earliest known groups of arthropods. Trilobites were well developed in size, variety, and distribution. 
• Brachiopods These shelled creatures were the most abundant marine organism during the Devonian period. 
• Dunkleosteus This placoderm fish could grow up to seven meters long. 
• Ammonites These coiled shell-bearing marine organisms first appeared early in the Devonian period. 
• Crinoids These sea-lilies lived abundantly during the Paleozoic era. 

Other fossils from the Devonian period include: Tetraxylopteris, Sharks, Bony fishes, Ammonioids. 

The Devonian period is sometimes called the “Age of Fishes” because of the diversity of fish during that period.

The Devonian period was a geologic period of the Paleozoic era. It lasted from 419.2 million years ago to 358.9 million years ago. The Devonian period is named after Devon, England, where the first rocks from this period were studied

The Devonian period had three epochs: 

• Early Devonian: The oldest epoch 
• Middle Devonian: The middle epoch 
• Late Devonian: The youngest epoch 

The Devonian period was also known as the “Age of Fishes” because of the diversity of fish during this time. It was also marked by the origin of amphibians. 

The Devonian period saw significant changes in the world’s geography. The world’s land was collected into two supercontinents, Gondwana and Euramerica. These landmasses were located near each other in one hemisphere, while the rest of the globe was covered by a vast ocean. 

The rocks formed during the Devonian period are known as the Devonian System. These rocks can be found on all continents, both at the surface and as substrata. Large areas of North America, South America, Europe, and Asia are underlain by Devonian rocks.

The Devonian period was a greenhouse age with a warm and mild climate. The average ocean temperature was 80–85°F, which was cooler than the 120°F temperatures during the preceding Ordovician and Silurian periods. The climate was also very arid, especially near the equator

The Devonian period had the following climate conditions: 

• Temperature: The global annual mean surface air temperature was 21.3°C in the Early Devonian. 
• Carbon dioxide: The atmosphere had an estimated 4,000 parts per million of carbon dioxide. 
• Ice caps: There were probably no ice caps. 
• Glaciers: There may have been significant glaciers during the Early and Middle Devonian. 

The climate was also consistent, with most geologists believing there were no glaciers for most of the period. The majority of life thrived in shallow, warm, coastal seas(full article source google)

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