The Permian Period, occurring 299 to 251 million years ago, was the final era of the Paleozoic, characterized by the assembly of the supercontinent Pangaea, extreme climate shifts, and the largest mass extinction in Earth’s history. It featured vast deserts and the evolution of early reptiles, synapsids, and modern conifers before ending with the “Great Dying,” which wiped out over 90% of marine species.