Demise of Early Large Animals Caused by Both Humans and Climate Change

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120305160645.htm

ScienceDaily (Mar. 5, 2012) — Research provides new insights about what caused the extinction of many of the world's big animals over the last 100,000 years.

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By conducting a statistical analysis using both the climatic information and the timing of arrival of modern humans, they were able to determine whether the pattern of extinctions across landmasses was best explained by climate change, the arrival of modern humans, or both. They concluded that it was a combination of both the arrival of man (probably through hunting or habitat alteration) as well as climate change which caused the extinctions.

The authors believe that the research provides insights into the consequences of pressures on megafauna living today, including tigers, polar bears, elephants and rhinos.

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humans, combined with climate change have been affecting other species for tens of thousands of years and continue to do so. Hopefully, now though, we are in a position to do something about it."

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