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Compared to the Permian-Triassic extinction event, the black death barely qualifies as a mishap, let alone the greatest catastrophe ever !
by wobbleblob 10y ago
Compared to the Permian-Triassic extinction event, the black death barely qualifies as a mishap, let alone the greatest catastrophe ever !
- azazqadir 10y agoFor humans, it was the greatest catastrophe. Remember Permian-Triassic period didn't just affected one species and there were no humans during that period. You could say our ancestors were affected though.
- arethuza 10y agoThere is the Toba catastrophe theory - basically that the huge eruption of Toba caused a reduction of the number of breeding pairs of humans down to a few thousand: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toba_catastrophe_theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toba_catastrophe_theory
- danieltillett 10y agoHasn't the Toba theory been discredited?
- spacehome 10y agoPerhaps the volcano wasn't the cause, but IIRC there's reason to think that humans display less genetic diversity than might be expected, pointing towards a bottleneck somewhere in the past.
- danieltillett 10y agoHumans are very unusual from a genetic perspective that makes analysis of us difficult. Firstly, the population has expand hugely in a very short time so there are all sorts of founder effects. Secondly, the selection presure completely changed a few thousand years ago with the transition from hunter-gather to farming. These two factors make it really hard to use the normal genetic tools and concepts to study human evolution and draw accurate conclusions.
- azazqadir 10y agoThis is the first I have heard about Toba Catastrophe. I must suck at prehistoric history.
- arethuza 10y agoWell, as danieltillett points out, it seems to have been discredited but the eruption definitely did happen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Toba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Toba
- wobbleblob 10y agoTell that to the synapsids. Tell that to the trilobites! Tell them that straight to their faces, if you can find one.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- jakub_h 10y agoSupernovae and GRBs are chuckling right now. ;)
- Shivetya 10y agowell if we stick to modern issues, world war 2 would make the black death down on the lists. the number of deaths that occurred during government caused famines in China (great leap) and Russia have estimates that are worse and I would classify them are worse than the Black Death because they were purposeful and fully avoidable. It is one thing to have a virulent disease wipe out an ignorant people with limited communication and scientific ability to cope. It is wholly another what is done purposefully by governments to their own and others. Japan, China, and Russia, all have been guilty of incredible death tolls because of treatment of their own people and those they conquered. If anything that make the Nazi's look like amateurs but for the most part they get a pass for their past transgressions
- BorisVSchmid 10y agoThe Black Death was followed by about 400 years of plague outbreaks in Europe. It also struck the Middle East, Africa, the Caucausus and Russia. It is bloody hard to make a total tally of how many people died by plague. But the Black Death itself was special in that it was such a condensed and intense disaster. If you have the chance to read the eyewitness accounts, as collected by Rosemary Horrox it is quite impressive. http://www.amazon.com/Black-Death-Manchester-Medieval-Sources/dp/0719034981 http://www.amazon.com/Black-Death-Manchester-Medieval-Source...
- iSnow 10y agoI also really liked "History of the Plague in London" (http://www.amazon.com/History-Plague-London-Daniel-Defoe-ebook/dp/B004UJ8UUE http://www.amazon.com/History-Plague-London-Daniel-Defoe-ebo...)
- fpoling 10y agoOr compare to the Oxygen catastrophe [1], when cyanobacteria caused death of virtually all aerobic species. [1] - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Oxygenation_Event https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Oxygenation_Event