Since the XIX century, scientists have been discussing the collapse of North America’s megafauna. In general, there are two main theories about causes of its extinction. Paul Martin was the first to suggest that mammoths and mastodons were overhunted by humans. Others, including Grayson and Meltzer, suppose that these species became extinct because of climate changes. Nevertheless, I tend to agree with arguments of Fiedel and Haynes who criticize both overkill and climate versions.
Grayson and Meltzer wrote an article that claims Martin’s theory is rather a political credo than a scientific hypothesis. Indeed, many non-specialists often refer to the overkill theory in terms of human’s negative impact on ecology. Nevertheless, scientists still have not rejected Martin’s version completely. In addition, the authors have no data on the actual impact of climate variables on living organisms. Fiedel and Haynes claim that the authors have omitted new studies on the subject, and blame them for data manipulation. In general, Grayson and Meltzer’s article looks like an attempt to criticize the opponents rather that to provide arguments.
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Fiedel and Haynes, on the other hand, agree with neither Martin nor Grayson and Meltzer. Megafauna’s extinction indeed coincided with the Younger Dryas and transition from Pleistocene to Holocene. Large mammals of the whole Northern Hemisphere were facing extinction then. Nevertheless, state the authors, these changes were gradual, and animals could have adapted to them by migration or shrinking in size. However, there is no evidence of that. Since mammoths and mastodons were a part of the multifaceted ecological system, even moderate and indirect impacts of humans could have had negative consequences.
Overall, Fiedel and Haynes suppose that North America’s megafauna became extinct because of some form of human activity, not especially hunting. As long as there is no direct evidence of climate effects, human impact theory cannot be rejected completely.
