Renowned paleontologist Professor Michael J. Benton delivers a compelling lecture exploring the connections between ancient mass extinctions and today's climate crisis. Specializing in dinosaurs and extinction events, Benton explains the "Big Five" mass extinctions — including the end-Cretaceous extinction caused by an asteroid impact and the end-Permian extinction triggered by volcanic eruptions and extreme global warming.
Drawing powerful parallels between past hyperthermal events and modern human-driven climate change, Benton emphasizes how understanding Earth's geological history can help us navigate today's environmental challenges.
📚 Recommended Reading:
Extinctions: How Life Survives, Adapts, and Evolves
by Michael J. Benton
https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0500298637
Other Lands
by Thomas Halliday
https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0593132904
The Last Days of the Dinosaurs
by Riley Black
https://www.worldhistory.org/books/B0DHWLQ3VL
The Sixth Extinction
by Elizabeth Kolbert
https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0805092994
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The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Benton, M. (2026, September 30). Lecture #7: Ancient Extinctions: What They Tell Us About Climate Change Today. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/video/3451/lecture-7-ancient-extinctions/
Chicago Style
Benton, Michael. "Lecture #7: Ancient Extinctions: What They Tell Us About Climate Change Today." World History Encyclopedia, September 30, 2026. https://www.worldhistory.org/video/3451/lecture-7-ancient-extinctions/.
MLA Style
Benton, Michael. "Lecture #7: Ancient Extinctions: What They Tell Us About Climate Change Today." World History Encyclopedia, 30 Sep 2026, https://www.worldhistory.org/video/3451/lecture-7-ancient-extinctions/.
