Story perspectives

Late Ordovician Extinction Paved Path for Dominant Jawed Vertebrates

1/10/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The Late Ordovician Mass Extinction (LOME), about 445 million years ago, drastically altered marine biodiversity and wiped out about 85% of species.
Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology studied fossil records to show jawed vertebrates, or gnathostomes, emerged as dominant after the extinction.
Survivors thrived in isolated refugia and diversified into niches left vacant by extinct jawless vertebrates, paving the way for modern marine life.

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Story summary

The Late Ordovician Mass Extinction (LOME), about 445 million years ago, drastically altered marine biodiversity and wiped out about 85% of species.
Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology studied fossil records to show jawed vertebrates, or gnathostomes, emerged as dominant after the extinction.
Survivors thrived in isolated refugia and diversified into niches left vacant by extinct jawless vertebrates, paving the way for modern marine life.