The 5 Mass Extinctions That Nearly Erased Life (Up to 90% Died) episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 4, 2025 · 1H 4M

The 5 Mass Extinctions That Nearly Erased Life (Up to 90% Died)

from History For Sleep with the Drowsy Historian · host Drowsy Historian

Get early episodes & ad-free audio on Patreon: https://patreon.com/DrowsyHistorianLife on Earth has never been stable — it has always teetered on the edge of collapse. In fact, most of the species that ever lived are already gone. Across deep time, five catastrophic events nearly erased everything: seas froze and drowned, forests poisoned the oceans, volcanoes suffocated the skies, continents tore apart, and finally, an asteroid ended the reign of the dinosaurs.This is the quiet, unsettling story of the Big Five Mass Extinctions — the Ordovician, the Devonian, the Permian (The Great Dying), the Triassic, and the Cretaceous. Each one reset the planet, shaping life not through strength or grandeur, but through luck, adaptability, and survival in the margins.🛏️ Drowsy Historian’s Favorite Sleep ToolsLooking to upgrade your nighttime routine? These are a few things I personally use or recommend:• Sleep Earbuds for Enhanced Immersion → https://amzn.to/4pVFoJy• Blanket Soft Enough to Make the Plague Feel Tolerable → https://amzn.to/3GSOq8f• Weighted Blanket for Pretending You’re a Mummified Pharaoh → https://amzn.to/4kVJCgE• Sleep Mask Headphones For Total Historical Escape → https://amzn.to/4nWsNVn• Book Light for Reading About Plagues at 2AM → https://amzn.to/4eSg0iu• White Noise Machine for Blocking Out the 21st Century → https://amzn.to/3GJ9jTwThese are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show while staying cozy.#MassExtinction #EarthHistory #DrowsyHistorian #BigFive #ExtinctionEvents #Dinosaurs

Get early episodes & ad-free audio on Patreon: https://patreon.com/DrowsyHistorianLife on Earth has never been stable — it has always teetered on the edge of collapse. In fact, most of the species that ever lived are already gone. Across deep time, five catastrophic events nearly erased everything: seas froze and drowned, forests poisoned the oceans, volcanoes suffocated the skies, continents tore apart, and finally, an asteroid ended the reign of the dinosaurs.This is the quiet, unsettling story of the Big Five Mass Extinctions — the Ordovician, the Devonian, the Permian (The Great Dying), the Triassic, and the Cretaceous. Each one reset the planet, shaping life not through strength or grandeur, but through luck, adaptability, and survival in the margins.🛏️ Drowsy Historian’s Favorite Sleep ToolsLooking to upgrade your nighttime routine? These are a few things I personally use or recommend:• Sleep Earbuds for Enhanced Immersion → https://amzn.to/4pVFoJy• Blanket Soft Enough to Make the Plague Feel Tolerable → https://amzn.to/3GSOq8f• Weighted Blanket for Pretending You’re a Mummified Pharaoh → https://amzn.to/4kVJCgE• Sleep Mask Headphones For Total Historical Escape → https://amzn.to/4nWsNVn• Book Light for Reading About Plagues at 2AM → https://amzn.to/4eSg0iu• White Noise Machine for Blocking Out the 21st Century → https://amzn.to/3GJ9jTwThese are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show while staying cozy.#MassExtinction #EarthHistory #DrowsyHistorian #BigFive #ExtinctionEvents #Dinosaurs

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The 5 Mass Extinctions That Nearly Erased Life (Up to 90% Died)

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This episode is 1 hour and 4 minutes long.

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This episode was published on November 4, 2025.

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Get early episodes & ad-free audio on Patreon: https://patreon.com/DrowsyHistorianLife on Earth has never been stable — it has always teetered on the edge of collapse. In fact, most of the species that ever lived are already gone. Across deep time,...

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