mystery

The mystery of what led to the extinction of large animals 50,000 years ago is SOLVED

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Scientists have long debated why woolly mammoths, giant sloths and 44 other giant plant-eating 'megaherbivores' went extinct starting about 50,000 years ago. Above, an engraving by Ernest Grise of prehistoric man hunting a woolly mammoth

Scientists have long debated why woolly mammoths, giant sloths and 44 giant plant-eating ‘megaherbivores’ went extinct starting around 50,000 years ago. Some paleontologists, biologists, and others have argued that drastic climate change events during the last two ice ages were responsible for the extinction of these majestic creatures. But a new study has found another … Read more

Is the great mystery of the megafauna revealed? Humans really drove the ancient giants to extinction

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Prehistoric people hunt a woolly mammoth. A growing body of research shows that this species—and at least 46 other megaherbivore species—were driven to extinction by humans. (CREDIT: Engraving by Ernest Grise, photographed by William Henry Jackson. Courtesy Getty Open Content Program) AARHUS, Denmark – Imagine a world where elephants roam Europe, giant ground sloths roam … Read more