Inferno. 252 million years ago 90% of all species on Earth died. This extraordinary moment in history took life to the brink. But, somehow, life found a way to bounce back, and a new geological era began. 1/5. This revealing biography of Earth explores the planet's most epic moments. What had happened to our world before humankind? As the geographical and fossile records show; massive bombardments from space, extreme changes in climate and the collision of whole continents.