A Brief Overview of the Permian Period for Middle School Science Classes

Dec 15, 2024

3 min read

Earth history is a fascinating topic! It is also a massive topic! The reading passage below will teach you all about the Permian Period. If you want to learn more (and why wouldn't you?!), you can check out my Earth History page. I also have all of my passages available at Teachers Pay Teachers. They come with so many extras to get your students thinking about the content! I also recommend scrolling to the bottom of the page to check out my digital picture book on the Permian Period!

Permian Period Reading Passage for Middle School Science

Pangaea

At the beginning of the Permian period 299 million years ago, the supercontinent Pangaea

contained all of the land on Earth. The continent formed a “C” shape. Inside the “C” was called

the Tethys Sea. The rest of the water on Earth was called the Panthalassic Ocean.

Climate

The large continent changed Earth’s climate. The swamps of the Carboniferous period dried out.

The giant trees and ferns were replaced by conifers and other seed plants.

Amniotes

Amniotes evolved during the late Carboniferous period. These animals were better suited to the

dry environment of the Permian period than the amphibians because they could live away from

water. As a result, the amniotes evolved into three different groups. Scientists define these

groups by the number of openings in the animals’ skulls. Anapsids, the ancestors of turtles, had

no skull openings. Synapsids, the ancestors of mammals, had one skull opening. Diapsids, the

ancestors of reptiles and birds, had two skull openings.

Synapsids

The first synapsids looked like small lizards. As a result, scientists originally believed mammals

evolved from reptiles. Synapsids were not reptiles, but some of them looked like dinosaurs.

Pelycosaurs

The first group of synapsids, the pelycosaurs, had giant sails on their backs. These sails captured

heat from the sun to keep the pelycosaur warm. The most well-known pelycosaur was the

Dimetrodon. As the top predator of the Permian period, it was eleven feet long and weighed

nearly three hundred pounds. It is often mistaken for a dinosaur.

Therapsids

Later synapsids were called therapsids. These animals stood taller than pelycosaurs with

powerful jaws and stronger teeth. Therapsids were the ancestors of mammals. Cynodonts were

one type of therapsid. Cynodonts are known as “dog-toothed” reptiles because their teeth

looked like dog teeth. These animals had fur, were warm-blooded, and gave birth to live young

instead of laying eggs.

Diapsids

Diapsids remained small and lizard-like throughout the Permian period. When the Permian-Triassic extinction event wiped out the majority of life on Earth, the diapsids were able to recover faster than the synapsids. They eventually became the dinosaurs that would dominate the Earth for millions of years.

Permian-Triassic Extinction Event

Scientists believe the Permian-Triassic extinction event was caused by increased volcanic activity.

The eruptions added carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and the oceans. The acidic water killed

ninety-five percent of the marine species. Seventy-five percent of the land animals went extinct too.

Survivors

The only synapsid to survive was the therapsid. These therapsids would eventually become

mammals. Diapsids, such as the archosaurs, also survived the extinction. They would become

the dinosaurs that ruled the Earth during the Mesozoic Era.

Both the Permian period and the Paleozoic Era ended with the Permian extinction. Most of the life on Earth disappeared, but new life would arise to take its place.

Permian Period Picture Book

Looking for another way to learn about the Permian Period? Check out this picture book version. The pages are a part of my Earth History bundle on Teachers Pay Teachers.