重大的板块构造事件与生物灭绝期之间的对应关系业经多次提出。然而,如何解释所观察到的这种关系迄今仍是一个悬而未决的问题。重大的裂谷事件与发生在洋盆中和大陆上的许多变化向有联系,而所有这些变化均可影响到生物活体的生存。在这方面较早的研究有 The correspondence between major tectonic events and the period of extinction has been raised many times. However, how to explain the observed relationship remains an open question to date. Significant rifting events are linked to many of the changes that occur in the ocean basin and the continent, all of which can affect the viability of living organisms. Earlier studies in this area have