Hunted to extinction?

Humans & Megafaunal Extinction (The Overkill Hypothesis)

Today is focused on understanding the true extent of hominin effect on European Quaternary megafauna. Beginning at around 50,000 years before present Eurasia lost over 35% of its mammal genera, many of these were living in Europe (Lorenzen et al., 2011). As discussed in the previous post, several questions surrounding hominin impacts will be addressed including: the evidence we have for humans hunting large animals, what these animals were used for, how much of an affect this had on faunal populations, and what differences there were between human (anatomically the same as modern humans since: around 150,000yrs ago) and Neanderthal exploitation of Quaternary fauna. For the purpose of this discussion it should be remembered that:

• 'Hominin' refers to both humans and Neanderthals.
• When 'human' is used we are talking about anatomically modern humans.
• When 'Neanderthal' is used we are talking about the extinct species Homo Neanderthalensis.
• In case you haven't heard of 'hominin', but only 'hominid' see: LINK

SO..

Just how common were scenes like this?

(Worall, 2016)

What evidence do we have that humans hunted megafauna?

There is some strong evidence for the effects of human hunting on megafauna. A few of these examples are:

• Human arrival in Europe corresponds well with the beginning of megafauna decline, the magnitude of animal disappearance was unprecedented. Many of them survived previous glacial cycles. The difference between those cycles and the last ice age was humans (Sandom et al., 2014).
• In modeled studies, Western Europe particularly has emerged as an extinction hotspot, and is closely timed with the arrival of humans, this follows with trends on other continents including: Australasia and South America (Sandom et al., 2014).
• As well as general correlations, there are numerous instances of human hunting at multiple European sites E.g: Poland and Austria, evidence for 'organised' mammoth hunts where animals were butchered at the kill site (Svoboda et al., 2005).
• Evidence found on the remains of animals resulting from human interaction and alteration. This includes: cut marks, burning and use of bones for a variety of other purposes (Karr, 2015).

 

Humans were certainly interested in Quaternary fauna, not just in hunting them but through social practices as depicted in this cave painting from: Chauvet Cave, France (~30,000 BC).

(Smithsonian, 2016)

What did humans use the animals they hunted for?

Some obvious and less obvious recorded uses of Quaternary fauna by their predators (humans and Neanderthals):

• Food (obviously)!

• There is evidence that mammoth bones were used as tools for butchery and building by Neanderthals (Demay et al., 2012).
  

• Use as cultural artifacts (Karr, 2015).
• Bone marrow extraction and exploitation (Karr et al., 2010).
  
  
  

Humans vs Neanderthals

There is significant debate surrounding the difference between human and Neanderthal diet (Yravedra and Cobo-Sanchez, 2015). Neanderthals are known to have exploited large and small animals alike in their diets, including: fish, rabbits, horses and elephants (Yravedra and Cobo-Sanchez, 2015; Smith, 2015). There is evidence from the Iberian Peninsula of Neanderthal hunting of hoofed animals, such as chamois. Typically, this is understood to be characteristic of human behavior (not Neanderthal). Likewise, Smith (2015) examined a site at La Cotte de St Brelade which preserves a record of Neanderthal behavior, there is evidence (tools, burnt material) that Neanderthals were exploiting mammoths, as well as woolly rhinoceros at this site. This is again not widely found as being characteristic of their behavior, so this hunting may be more opportunistic than a common feature of their diet. Yravedraand Cobo-Sanchez (2015) highlighted that there may be selective hunting of species, as sometimes chamois were not exploited even when their populations were large, indicating a level of complexity in Neanderthal hunting strategy. Still, there is evidence (from: isotopic analysis) that Neanderthals had high quantities of meat in their diet, meaning to some extent they may have contributed to faunal decline (Smith, 2015). Though, it must be highlighted that decline began around 50,000 years ago (Lorenzen et al., 2011), and Neanderthals became extinct around 40,000 years ago (Banks et al., 2008). This means Neanderthal contribution to fauna decline was likely small, and clearly short-lived in comparison to humans. Still, humans were better adapted to survive, while the Neanderthals disappeared...

...so just how much did our ancestors effect Quaternary megafauna...

?

Anatomically Modern Humans (AMH)

Homo Neanderthalensis

How much could this have reduced faunal populations?

This is the question. To what extent did humans reduce the populations of the fauna they hunted? In a global sense, there have been instances of modelled examples of the late-Quaternary megafaunal extinctions being entirely attributable to human hunting habits (Alroy, 2001). More up-to-date literature suggests that extinction is likely a combination of an interplay between humans and climate change (Bartlett et al., 2015). Though, the exact contribution fo humans to the loss of Quaternary megafauna is impossible to quantify.

  

 

(Source)

Nobody really knows for sure how much hunting may have reduced populations, but what we do know is that many species survived past ice ages. What was different this time?

People!

Thanks for reading!!