Late Pleistocene extinctions
Extinctions of large mammals in the Late Pleistocene / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Late Pleistocene to the beginning of the Holocene saw numerous extinctions of predominantly megafaunal (typically defined as having body masses over 44 kilograms (97 lb))[1] animal species (the Pleistocene megafauna), which resulted in a collapse in faunal density and diversity across the globe.[2] The extinctions during the Late Pleistocene are differentiated from previous extinctions by the widespread absence of ecological succession to replace these extinct megafaunal species,[3] and the regime shift of previously established faunal relationships and habitats as a consequence. The timing and severity of the extinctions varied by region and are thought to have been driven by varying combinations of human and climatic factors.[3] Human impact on megafauna populations is thought to have been driven by hunting ("overkill"),[4][5] as well as possibly environmental alteration.[6] The relative importance of human vs climatic factors in the extinctions has been the subject of long-running controversy.[3]
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Major extinctions occurred in Australia-New Guinea (Sahul) beginning approximately 50,000 years ago and in the Americas about 13,000 years ago, coinciding in time with the early human migrations into these regions.[7] Extinctions in northern Eurasia were staggered over tens of thousands of years between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago,[2] while extinctions in the Americas were virtually simultaneous, spanning only 3000 years at most.[4][8] Overall, during the Late Pleistocene about 65% of all megafaunal species worldwide became extinct,[9] rising to 72% in North America, 83% in South America and 88% in Australia,[10] with all mammals over 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb) becoming extinct in Australia and the Americas.[1] Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia experienced more moderate extinctions than other regions.[10]