extinction events

Our planet has an astonishing power of life to produce life forms. Life appears to have originated almost as soon (geologically speaking) as conditions on Earth which could be considered favourable to life arose. Furthermore, life is everywhere on Earth, in almost every niche that it could exist. Lastly, new life forms appear rapidly when the occasion arises. According to the fossil record, new forms of life did not result from gradual change, but arose at once, more or less fully developed.