A second mass extinction called the Hangenberg event, also known as the end-Devonian extinction, [6] occurred 13 million years later around 359 million years ago, bringing an end to the Famennian and Devonian, as the world transitioned into the Carboniferous Period. [7], Test your knowledge of the animal kingdom with these jaw-dropping, exciting, and educational animal trivia questions for kids and adults. The earth is home to roughly 8.7 million animal species, ranging from mammals, reptiles, insects, arachnids, birds, and amphibians., 1. About thirteen different species of finches inhabit the Galápagos Islands today, all descendants of a common ancestor from the South American mainland that arrived a few million years ago. Genetically, there are four distinct lineages, but the thirteen species are currently classified among three genera., Earth is about 4.5 billion years old, but the oldest rocks still in existence date back to just 4 billion years ago. Not long after that rock record begins, tantalizing evidence of life emerges: A , The Returning Ecosystem. The plants that grow around a volcano are instrumental to re-establishing the ecosystem. There are many ways plants return to the ecosystem: The seeds of plants may be protected in the soil during an eruption, for instance, or seeds may be deposited in an area later by wind or birds., .