Permian Period in Australia

Permian Period ended with a mass extinction.

Permian was still a cold period in the Southern Hemisphere and Australia was still connected to Gondwana continent.


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As during the Carboniferous period, Australia was still very actively volcanic.

In north Queensland for example, there were volcanoes in Torres Strait, Cooktown, Atherton Tablelands, Chillagoe, inland from Townsville, Eungella, and Bowen Basin, that were active for 80 million years.

In New South Wales, Permian granites now form much of the New England region.


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While during the Carboniferous period most of the plants were still spore-bearing, the Permian vegetation is characterised by seed-bearing plants. This is a major step in plant evolution.


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In the end of Permian, as the climate started getting warmer, there was a global mass extinction, known as the greatest extinction of life on Earth. About 80% of all animal species were wiped out although plants seemed to cope.


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There are theories about a meteorite, dust clowds, or the Siberian Basalt eruption causing the extinction, but it is not exactly known what happened.