New Research Blames Human Hunting for Megafauna Extinction

In a groundbreaking study, scientists have determined that human hunting was the primary factor driving the extinction of megafauna—large animals such as elephants, mammoths, and rhinoceroses—over the past 50,000 years, challenging previous theories that climate change was the main culprit.

The study, conducted by the Danish National Research Foundation's Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere at Aarhus University, was published in March in the journal Cambridge Prisms: Extinction.

By synthesizing and analyzing research from various fields, including the timing of species extinctions, dietary preferences of the animals, climate and habitat requirements, genetic estimates of past population sizes, and evidence of human hunting, the researchers concluded that many megafauna species were driven to extinction primarily by human activities.

This revelation shifts the focus to the significant impact humans have had on large animal populations long before the industrial era, offering new insights into the complex interactions between humans and the environment.

Reference(s):

Study reveals hunting played key role in extinction of large animals

cgtn.com