Lessons from Previous Mass Extinction Events

There are important clues in the past that tell us about the most successful strategies when tough times appeared on Earth. Lots of them apply to us.

Surviving a mass extinction event demands a mix of adaptability, resilience, and luck. Through Earth's five major extinction events, a handful of species and groups emerged not only alive but poised to thrive in radically altered worlds. Their success offers vital insights into endurance—lessons that extend far beyond biology and into the human realm of adaptation to crisis, rapid change, and uncertainty.

Pigs may end up bacon today but they are likely descended from a remarkable early mammal who survived many successive mass extinctions that wiped out entire eras of life.