Did a supernova cause a mass extinction on Earth?

New research suggests that a supernova was behind the significant number of large ocean animal extinctions that occurred during the Pleistocene era.

The star explosion is estimated to have happened approximately 2.6 million years ago at a distance of around 150 light years from Earth.

A spike in a particular material that can only arrive here from a supernova has been detected at a date that appears to coincide with the disappearance of many prehistoric creatures.