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The Late Pleistocene to the beginning of the Holocene saw the extinction of the majority of the world's megafauna (typically defined as animal species having body masses over 44 kilograms (97 lb)), [1] which resulted in a collapse in faunal density and diversity across the globe. [2]
Our ancient ancestors contributed to the extinction of many of the world's largest mammals ('megafauna'). This was during an event known as the Quaternary megafauna extinction (QME). The extent of these extinctions across continents is shown in the chart.
The worldwide extinction of megafauna during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene is evident from the fossil record, with dominant theories suggesting a climate, human or combined impact...
The extinction event is most distinct in North America, where 32 genera of large mammals vanished during an interval of about 2,000 years, centred on 11,000 bp. On other continents, fewer genera disappeared, and the extinctions were spread over a somewhat longer time span.
That’s critical, because Australian megafauna didn’t start going extinct until sometime between 60,000 and 40,000 years ago.
In this review, we appraise the current state of knowledge on the late-Quaternary extinctions, with focus on the patterns, drivers and consequences of megafauna disappearance as well as its relevancy for conservation and restoration.
Megafaunal extinctions refers to the documented die-off of large-bodied mammals (megafauna) from all over our planet at the end of the last ice age, at about the same time as the human colonization of the last, farthest-flung regions out of Africa.
In temperate Eurasia and North America, megafauna extinction concluded simultaneously with the replacement of the vast periglacial tundra by an immense area of forest. Glacial species, such as mammoths and woolly rhinocerous, were replaced by animals better adapted to forests, such as elk, deer and pigs.
Final megafauna population declines leading to extinction roughly coincided with the onset of the YD, hinting that the unique conditions of the YD—i.e., abrupt cooling, increased seasonality ...
Here we analyze the temporal dynamic and spatial distribution of South American megafauna and fluted (Fishtail) projectile points to evaluate the role of humans in Pleistocene extinctions.