小行星的撞擊得到所有覆蓋面 ,但"美狄亞假說"的作者彼得沃德則認為大部分發生在地球上的大滅絕是因微小的細菌.  肇事者是一種叫硫化氫的毒藥,它可能對藥物應用有意外的貢獻.

彼得沃德所發表的大滅絕

Earth’s greatest die-offs were often caused by toxic bacteria releasing hydrogen sulfide, not just cataclysmic impacts from space. Evidence from ancient rocks reveals that high CO2 and suffocating purple oceans wiped out complex life repeatedly, while a single mammal-like reptile’s survival shaped our own existence. Surprisingly, the same deadly gas now shows promise as a tool to save lives in medical emergencies. This story challenges the comforting idea that life always preserves itself.

Microbes, Not Asteroids, Drove Most Mass Extinctions

dinosaurs

disease

environment

history

science

space

TED Stage Talk

Peter Ward: 彼得沃德所發表的大滅絕