All articles tagged with #megafauna
Archaeologists in central Chile have uncovered stone tools and butchered bones of extinct gomphotheres dating to 12,000–13,000 years ago. Found in the basin of ancient Lake Tagua Tagua, these remains provide new evidence of early human occupation in southern South America, predating many known sites but following the oldest confirmed site, Monte Verde.
New fossil and DNA evidence reshapes how we picture 10 extinct species, showing that our legends often misstate their size, diet, or behavior—from Arctic ground squirrels scavenging big prey to cave lions interbreeding with modern lions, Nanotyrannus as a distinct smaller tyrannosaur, Leedsichthys’ giant size, California grizzly omnivory, the dodo’s brain-based behavior, unexpectedly tall Denisovans, Megalodon possibly longer and leaner, to a Balearic Island cave goat with reptile-like growth.
Archaeologists at Olduvai Gorge identify a 1.8-million-year-old elephant carcass with tool-assisted processing, indicating coordinated butchery by early hominins (likely Homo erectus). This suggests large group living and a high-calorie diet to support brain expansion, aligning with the expensive-tissue hypothesis.
Evolutionary biologists describe avocados as an anachronistic fruit shaped by extinct Ice Age megafauna, notably giant ground sloths, which could swallow and disperse its huge seeds. When those giants vanished, seed dispersal for such bulky fruits dwindled, leaving a niche that modern animals can’t fill. Humans later cultivated and globally distributed avocados, preserving the fruit even as the original ecological partnership faded.
Researchers exploring the flooded Bender’s Cave in Comal County, Texas, using snorkels, uncovered a dense underwater fossil bed spanning 21 areas and including mastodons, giant ground sloths, ancient camels, and pampatheres dating to about 100,000 years ago during the last interglacial, suggesting a rich warmer-epoch ecosystem and offering new insights into Texas’ prehistoric life.
Scientists have mapped hundreds of massive tunnels up to about 6 feet wide and as long as 600 yards across southern Brazil and northern Argentina, arguing they were carved by giant Ice Age sloths rather than humans or natural geological forces. The walls show claw marks and signs of reuse, suggesting these tunnels were maintained over time and serve as trace fossils revealing ancient habitats and megafauna behavior like Megatherium rather than predator activity.
Researchers studying kilometre‑long tunnels across Brazil and Argentina argue they are palaeoburrows carved by giant ground sloths (such as Glossotherium and Scelidotherium) during the Early Cretaceous in Botucatu sandstone; the largest known burrow runs about 1.5 kilometres with claw‑marked ceilings, suggesting multiple animals over time, though the exact purpose remains debated.
Africa hosts many of the world's largest land animals due to a unique co-evolution with early humans, which led to lower extinction rates and the survival of these giants, unlike in other regions where human activity caused significant megafauna die-offs.
A 33,000-year-old sloth bone found in Uruguay shows signs of human activity, potentially pushing back the timeline of human presence and interaction with megafauna in the Americas, suggesting humans hunted these creatures much earlier than previously believed.
Scientists highlight how humans during the Pleistocene era were more resilient and formidable than today, surviving alongside giant predators and megafauna in Yellowstone, and discuss the implications of de-extinction efforts like resurrecting dire wolves and mammoths. They emphasize the loss of ancient survival knowledge and the importance of conserving Yellowstone's unique ecosystem.
Ancient sloths, some as large as elephants, once roamed America, but most went extinct around 15,000 years ago, likely due to human activity rather than climate change. Modern sloths are much smaller and better adapted to arboreal life, with only six species remaining, two of which are endangered. The study highlights the impact of humans on megafauna extinction and the importance of conservation.
Recent research suggests that human hunting, rather than climate change, was the primary cause of the extinction of most megafauna over the past 50,000 years. Analyzing ancient extinction, climate, and human migration data, scientists found that the timing and locations of these extinctions align closely with human colonization patterns. This highlights the significant impact humans have had on large mammals, which continue to be vulnerable today.
Researchers have used a novel technique called ZooMS to analyze fragmented bone material from the Smithsonian Museum, uncovering new clues about the extinction of North America's megafauna 50,000 years ago. This method, which identifies species through collagen protein sequences, has shown promising results, potentially offering new insights into the longstanding debate over whether human activity or climate change led to these extinctions.
Scientists have discovered that the giant thorns on honey locust trees, such as the one growing on Belle Isle, were likely an evolutionary defense mechanism against ancient megafauna like mammoths and mastodons. These animals helped disperse the tree's seeds by eating its fruit, and fossilized manure containing honey locust seeds has been found. This ecological relationship between plants and ancient animals may have played a crucial role in the spread and survival of certain tree species, although scientists caution that such relationships are complex and not always straightforward.
A new study from Aarhus University suggests that humans, rather than climate change, were the primary cause of the decline in large mammal populations around 50,000 years ago. By analyzing the DNA of 139 living species of large mammals, researchers found that the populations of these animals experienced a dramatic decline during this period, which coincided with the spread of modern humans. The study challenges the prevailing belief that climate fluctuations were the main driver of megafauna extinction, providing evidence that human hunting and population growth played a significant role.