- Earth’s largest ever extinction ever may have been caused by massive volcanic eruptions in Siberia, according to new research. Around 95 per cent of marine life and 70 per cent of life on land was wiped out in “The Great Dying” about 252 million years ago http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/the-great-dying-earth-biggest-mass-extinction-siberia-volcanoes-russia-nickel-science-study-a7983656.html 7 comments worldnews