The Permian it was the sixth period of the Paleozoic era, between the Carboniferous and the Triassic (Mesozoic era). It lasted approximately 48 million years and it can be said that it was a time of transition for the planet, both at a geological and climatic level..
During the Permian period, a large number of transcendental changes occurred at the biological level, such as the first sketch of mammals, in the figure of the so-called mammalian reptiles, as well as the diversification and expansion of the rest of the living beings that existed..
This period has been very well studied by specialists, especially its end, since here the most catastrophic and devastating mass extinction event on the planet took place (more than the one that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs).
In this, commonly known as "the Great Dying", more than 90% of the species of living beings disappeared. During this event, the conditions of the planet changed in such a way that life on the planet was practically unviable..
Only a few species survived, which later gave way to the most famous animals of prehistory: dinosaurs.
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The Permian period lasted approximately 48 million years. It began 299 million years ago and ended 251 million years ago.
During this period, the Earth experienced a relatively variable climate, since both in its beginning and in its end glaciations were observed, and during its intermediate phase, the climate was quite hot and humid, especially in the equatorial zone..
In the Permian period, some species of animals experienced great diversification. Such is the case of reptiles, which were considered as mammals, since, according to fossil records, they could be the ancestors of current mammals.
It was a mass extinction event that occurred in the late Permian and early Triassic period. It was the most devastating extinction process that the planet has gone through, since it wiped out approximately 90% of the species of living beings that populated the planet.
There are many causes that have been postulated to explain this event. Among the most accepted is an intense volcanic activity that caused the expulsion into the atmosphere of a lot of carbon dioxide, which contributed to raising the environmental temperature..
Likewise, the release of carbohydrates from the bottom of the oceans and the impact of a meteorite have been proposed as causes..
Whatever the causes, this was a fairly catastrophic event that greatly affected the environmental conditions of planet Earth..
The Permian period began immediately after the Carboniferous period. It is important to note that at the end of the Carboniferous the Earth experienced a glaciation, so that in the Permian there were still traces of this.
Likewise, during this period, the supercontinent Pangea was almost entirely united, only a few small pieces of land remained outside, such as the southeast of the Asian continent..
During this period, a part of Pangea, specifically Gondwana, split up and began to move north. This fragment was called Cimmeria.
This continent contained the territories of what is now Turkey, Tibet, Afghanistan and some Asian regions such as Malaysia and Indochina. The separation and subsequent displacement of Cimmeria caused the Paleo Tethys ocean to close, until it disappeared.
Finally, already in another period (Jurassic), this continent would collide with Laurasia, giving rise to what became known as the Cimmerian Orogeny..
Likewise, the sea level was low, which corresponds to what also happened during the previous period, the Carboniferous. Similarly, during this period the Hercynian Orogeny had its final phase..
As is well known, this was a process of mountain formation, caused by the movement and collision of tectonic plates. It lasted about 100 million years.
This orogeny mainly involved the collision between two supercontinents: Gondwana and Laurasia. As in any supercontinent collision process, the Hercynian orogeny generated the formation of great mountain ranges that, it is believed, had peaks similar in height to those of the Himalayas..
However, they are only speculations by specialists based on fossil records and projections, since these mountains disappeared as a result of natural erosion..
It is important to highlight that the Hercynian orogeny played a fundamental role in the formation of the Pangea.
In the Permian period, land masses were not the only ones to undergo transformations. Some bodies of water were also transformed and modified.
During the Permian period the climate underwent certain modifications. The first thing to note is that this period began and ended with glaciations. At the beginning of the period, part of Gondwana was covered with ice, especially towards the south pole..
Towards the equatorial zone, the climate was much warmer, which facilitated the development and permanence of various living beings, as shown by the fossil records.
As time progressed, the planet's climate stabilized. Low temperatures were limited to the poles, while a warm and humid climate continued to exist in the equatorial region.
This was so in the areas near the ocean. Kilometers into the Pangea, the story was different: the climate was arid and dry. According to the opinion of specialists, there were possibilities that in this territory there would be alternation of seasons, with intense rains and prolonged droughts.
Towards the end of the period there was a decrease in environmental temperature, which was followed by a significant increase in it, produced by various causes according to various hypotheses: volcanic activity and release into the atmosphere of various gases such as carbohydrates, among others..
During this period, atmospheric oxygen levels were slightly higher than they are today, allowing a number of life forms to flourish, both botanical and zoological..
In the Permian period, plant life was greatly diversified. Some of the plants that had dominated during the Carboniferous continued to exist.
The fern group in particular declined markedly during this period. Similarly, in the equatorial region there were jungles, which could develop thanks to the favorable climate of this area..
Likewise, the type of plant that dominated during the Permian period were gymnosperms. It is important to remember that these plants belong to the group of plants with seeds, their essential characteristic being that their seed is "naked". This means that the seed does not develop in an ovary (as in angiosperms).
Among the gymnosperms that made their appearance on Earth, we can mention the ginkgos, conifers and cycads.
The first specimens of this group are believed to have appeared in the Permian period. These were dioecious plants, which means that there were individuals with male reproductive organs and plants with female reproductive organs..
These types of plants were arborescent. Its leaves were wide, fan-shaped and it is even estimated that they could reach measures of 20 cm.
Almost all species became extinct, currently only one species is found, the Ginkgo biloba.
They are plants that owe their name to the structure in which their seeds are stored, the cones. The first representatives of this group emerged in this period. They were monoecious plants, with reproductive structures, female and male in the same individual.
These plants can adapt to extreme environments, such as very cold ones. Its leaves are simple, needle-shaped and evergreen. Its stems are woody.
These types of plants have managed to survive to this day. Its characteristics include its woody stem, without branches, and its pinnate leaves that are located at the terminal end of the plant. They were also dioecious; had female and male gametes.
In the Permian period some species of animals that had their origin in previous periods such as the Devonian or the Carboniferous were kept..
However, during this period an important group of animals emerged, the mammalian reptiles, which are considered by specialists as the ancestors of today's mammals. Likewise, in the seas life was also diverse.
Within the group of invertebrates, some marine groups such as echinoderms and mollusks stood out. Various fossil records of bivalves and gastropods have been found, as well as brachiopods..
Similarly, within this group and in marine ecosystems, the members of the poriferous edge (sponges) stood out, which were part of barrier reefs..
There was a species of protozoan that reached great diversification and development during this period, the fusulinids. Although they became extinct, an abundant fossil record has been found, so much so that more than 4 thousand species have been identified in the fossils. Their distinctive feature was that they were protected by a cover of calcareous material.
On the other hand, arthropods, especially insects, remained, at least initially, as in the Carboniferous. It should be noted that the size of the insects was quite significant.
An example of this was Meganeura, the so-called "giant dragonfly", as well as other members of the arachnid group. However, as time progressed, the size of these insects gradually decreased. Specialists have indicated that this was perhaps due to a reduction in atmospheric oxygen levels.
Finally, within the group of arthropods, several new orders appeared during this period, such as the Diptera and the Coleoptera.
Vertebrates also experienced great expansion and diversification, both in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems..
Among the most representative fish of this period are chondrichthyans (cartilaginous fish), such as shark and bony fish.
This belonged to the group of chondrichthyans. It was a type of shark that became extinct in the Cretaceous period. According to the data collected, it is believed that he could have a mixed diet, since he had teeth of different shapes, adapted to different types of food.
They were very similar to today's sharks, although it was not large, since it could only reach about 2 meters in length.
It was an extinct type of fish. Although it belonged to the group of sharks, its appearance was quite different. It had a long and somewhat thin body, similar to that of an eel. He also had several types of teeth, which allows us to infer that he could have a varied diet.
In this period there were several tetrapods (with four legs). Among these, one of the most representative was the Temnospondyli. It had its peak during the Carboniferous, Permian and Triassic periods.
This was a fairly diverse group, ranging in size from a few centimeters to about 10 meters. Its limbs were small and its skull was elongated. Regarding its diet, it was a carnivore, being a predator of small insects essentially.
This was a group that experienced great diversification. In this period the so-called therapsids stood out, as well as the pelycosaurs.
It is a group of animals that are believed to be the ancestors of today's mammals. Because of this, they are known as mammalian reptiles.
Among their distinctive characteristics, it can be mentioned that they had several types of teeth (like today's mammals), each one adapted to different functions. They also had four limbs or legs and their diet was varied. There were carnivorous and other herbivorous species.
This type of therapsids had a fairly compact body, with strong and short bones. Likewise, its teeth were quite small and its snout was modified into a beak. When it came to food, it was purely herbivorous.
They were a group of small animals, the largest being 1 meter in length. Just like current mammals, they had different types of teeth, specialized for different functions such as tearing, cutting or grinding..
Specialists believe that this type of animal could have had a body covered with hair, which is one of the distinctive characteristics of the group of mammals.
It was a group of animals that had a somewhat compact body, with four short limbs and a long tail. Likewise, on their dorsal surface they had a wide fin that, according to experts, allowed them to regulate body temperature to keep it constant..
Special mention should be made of this reptile typical of freshwater ecosystems, where it was a recognized predator. Its body was longer than it was tall and it also had an elongated snout with long teeth. Externally they resembled current crocodiles.
The Permian is divided into three epochs, which, in turn, span nine ages.
It was the first division of this period. It lasted 29 million years and in turn was made up of four ages:
Second division of the period. With a duration of 5 million years. It was made up of three ages:
It was the last division of the period. It lasted for 9 million years. The ages that made it up were:
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