Eocene-Oligocene extinction event

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The Eocene-Oligocene extinction event was a period when many ancient organisms of the Eocene and Oligocene epochs became extinct.

Most of the affected organisms were marine or aquatic in nature. Some were of the ancient cetaceans of the Archaeoceti subgenus, which at this time are all extinct.

One cause of the extiction event is speculated to be volcanic activity. Another speculation is that the extinctions are related to several meteorite impacts occurred that occurred during this period. One such event happened near present-day Chesapeake Bay, and another in Central Siberia, scattering debris throughout Europe. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/events/cowen1a.html