News Excerpt:

Recent research from Aarhus University’s ECONOVO Center concluded that human hunting played a significant role in Megafauna extinctions.

• Scientists have long debated whether humans or climate change were responsible for the extinction of many large animal species over the past 50,000 years.

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• Over the last ~50,000 years (the late Quaternary), terrestrial vertebrate faunas have experienced severe losses of large species (megafauna), with most extinctions occurring in the Late Pleistocene and Early to Middle Holocene.
• By examining factors such as extinction timing, dietary preferences, climate requirements, genetic population estimates, and hunting evidence, the researchers identified human activity as a primary factor.

Megafauna extinctions

• Evidence shows early modern humans were effective hunters of large animals, leading to the extinction of mammoths and giant sloths worldwide.
• These extinctions occurred at different rates and times but consistently followed the arrival of modern humans or significant cultural advancements.
• The extinctions happened across all continents except Antarctica and in various ecosystems, from tropical forests to arctic environments.

Ecological consequences

• The loss of megafauna has had significant ecological consequences, altering vegetation structures, seed dispersal, and nutrient cycling.
• Large animals play central roles in ecosystems, and their disappearance has led to profound changes in ecosystem structures and functions.
• The research incorporated various studies to present a comprehensive view of the extinctions, drawing on fields such as climate history, vegetation history, fauna evolution, and archaeological data on human expansion and lifestyle.
• This interdisciplinary approach provided a broader understanding of the factors contributing to the loss of megafauna.