NationStates Jolt Archive

Apparently new evidence is suggesting that the N American Elephants, Camels, Giant Sloths, Saber Tooth Tigers and the massive Short Faced Bear along with the "clovis" culture all disappeared at about the same time. Evidence suggests either an impact on the Laurentide Ice Sheet or a air burst ravaged N America with massive fires and then a 1000 year cool spell. I have never heard this theory before. It would be a really different continent if all the animals survived and a possible cradle of civilization culture such as the Clovis would have emerged.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6676461.stm

Well the theory is mostly BS. I think now most anthropologists agree that most clovis creatures were destroyed by the Clovis people, or the Native Americans when they first came in and hunted the animals to extinction.

Hay guys lets disregard this theory and call it B.S. because it doesn't conform with what text books say happened!

Damn!
Damn-Damn!
I want a giant sloth and bear cavalry.

Well the theory is mostly BS. I think now most anthropologists agree that most clovis creatures were destroyed by the Clovis people, or the Native Americans when they first came in and hunted the animals to extinction.

The overkill hypothesis has been roundly criticized and is largely regarded by most anthropologists as possible, but incredibly unlikely. Until this news story, the consensus was a natural cause like climate change, but it always seemed to be lacking the dramatic effect necessary to create such a widespread extinction. I think this new theory will be an interesting new direction for study.

The overkill hypothesis has been roundly criticized and is largely regarded by most anthropologists as possible, but incredibly unlikely. Until this news story, the consensus was a natural cause like climate change, but it always seemed to be lacking the dramatic effect necessary to create such a widespread extinction. I think this new theory will be an interesting new direction for study.

so are we going with a series of disparate non-anthropogenic causes that happened at a variety of times across the world that just so happened to occur right around the time modern humans show up in various places? 'cause the pleistocene megafaunal extinctions were spread out over the course of tens of thousands of years altogether, but in a ridiculously brief time frame in any particular location...

so are we going with a series of disparate non-anthropogenic causes that happened at a variety of times across the world that just so happened to occur right around the time modern humans show up in various places? 'cause the pleistocene megafaunal extinctions were spread out over the course of tens of thousands of years altogether, but in a ridiculously brief time frame in any particular location...

That particular time and location also saw an extreme shift in terrain and climate, leading to corresponding changes in vegetation and bodies of water, at the time of the extinction. Anthropologists aren't discounting humans as a factor, especially since our species likely took a top spot in the food chain pretty quickly once we arrived in large numbers, but the notion that we are mostly responsible is seen as overstating our impact. If the study in the article is correct, and a large object impacted or exploded in North America at the same time, it adds another factor to consider when explaining the extinction event.

Damn!
Damn-Damn!
I want a giant sloth and bear cavalry.

I'd rather have Saber-toothed tiger or elephant...

Damn!
Damn-Damn!
I want a giant sloth and bear cavalry.

What an excellent time to delete my b folder and be without the Bear Calvary Motivational Poster!
:(

Well the theory is mostly BS. I think now most anthropologists agree that most clovis creatures were destroyed by the Clovis people, or the Native Americans when they first came in and hunted the animals to extinction.

Thank you for restating the old theory this one is refuting. Now you can tell us how Neanderthals are our direct ancestors and that you can tell how smart someone is by measuring their forehead.

Bah , i hunt bears and their mounts for a living, you're pitiful bear calvery are no match for my kamikaze duck billed platypuses!!!!:sniper:

Apparently new evidence is suggesting that the N American Elephants, Camels, Giant Sloths, Saber Tooth Tigers and the massive Short Faced Bear along with the "clovis" culture all disappeared at about the same time. Evidence suggests either an impact on the Laurentide Ice Sheet or a air burst ravaged N America with massive fires and then a 1000 year cool spell. I have never heard this theory before. It would be a really different continent if all the animals survived and a possible cradle of civilization culture such as the Clovis would have emerged.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6676461.stm

Sweet. A new theory to study. Makes life interesting.