Six Extinctions

The death of the dinosaurs is the most famous extinction, but it is only one of the five past mass extinction events that have decimated life on our planet. 

Six Extinctions is an exciting new blockbuster exhibition premiering at the South Australian Museum that follows the history of life through the five major mass extinction events on Earth. An extinction happens when an entire species completely disappears. It is believed that over 99% of all species that have ever lived are now extinct. The normal ebb and flow of life means that as new species evolve, older species regularly fade away; however, mass extinction events are out of the ordinary. 

An extinction event is considered a mass extinction when at least 75% of all species on the planet, spanning most animal groups, die out in a relatively short space of geologic time (e.g. less than 2 million years).  While they have extinguished many forms of life, they have also paved the way for new organisms to emerge: if not for the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs, we would not be here today.

From asteroid impacts to global warming, these catastrophic events are a natural part of life on Earth. However, our current extinction is extraordinary in that it has been caused by a single species - us. This exhibition explores “The Big Five” mass extinctions throughout Earth’s history and looks at the current extinction crisis, the Sixth Extinction and what we can do to help.

Meet some of the top predators of each geological period, including the largest Tyrannosaurus rex ever found! 

Get your tickets today!  By booking your tickets online you get express entry into the exhibition or become a Museum Member and skip the queues entirely.

Proudly presented by the South Australian Museum. Exhibition produced by Gondwana Studios.