The Great Dying, the largest mass extinction in the history of animal life, occurred at 252 Ma, wiping out more than 96% of marine species and 70% of life on land. The talk will address mass extinction events and the history of life on Earth, the causes of these events and their significance on evolution of life.

Anita is a geologist by profession with a BSc Hons and PhD from the University of Sydney and a Masters in Environmental Management from Macquarie University. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Australian Journal of Earth Sciences and has adjunct positions at Macquarie University and UNSW. Anita has published widely in the scientific literature with over 60 papers and book chapters. Anita is a member of the STEP Committee.

To complement the talk, John Martyn will lead a walk a few days later Munmorah Great Extinction Event.