There's long been documentation of certain species going extinct due to the human element, hunting, or other practices. As such, a new study found that multiple mammals from around 13,000 years ago went extinct because of humans.
Humans Cause Extinctions
The Rancho La Brea Tar Pits in Southern California has been a hotspot for many fossils giving a glimpse into prehistoric animals that existed during the last Ice Age's end. New findings reveal that there were many mammals that went extinct because of humans.
The study found that the cause of extinction was linked to large-scale wildfires, which they assumed could be caused by humans. Certain mammals that could've gone extinct include dire wolves and saber-toothed cats.
A peer-reviewed study found how certain late Pleistocene large vertebrate species went extinct due to human impacts and climate change. This was after they found core samples that suggested how large a role fire played when it came to large mammal extinction.
The research highlighted different citings from fossils revealing environmental change, wildfire activity, and human population growth. The fossils are found within the tar pits and were well preserved upon scientific discovery.
Catalyst of Extinction
The study team highlighted how the postglacial megafaunal woodland's transition from the gradual opening of the landscape until termination took an abrupt 300-year shift in the regime. During this period, many shifting characteristics caused unprecedented fire activity.
The scientists were able to get 172 new radiocarbon dates on megafauna from the tar pits. These pieces of history were around 15,600 to 10,000 calendar years ago. Based on records, seven of them were extinct and disappeared around 12.9 ka.
Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga, Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County president and director, said the new discovery will be relevant for decades beyond the field of science. The president said that the pits were the only place they found the necessary fossil records.
Dr. Bettison-Varga said the site held millions of plants and animal fossils from the Ice Age period, giving a unique opportunity to find out more about that period in history. The president said the discoveries from this site were important in preserving species and protecting human life.
Largest Fossil Collection
The tar pits' museum holds the largest collection of Ice Age fossils and has been integral in the study of animal and plant life from the Pleistocene epoch's end. As such, asphalt pools entrapped and preserved bones of many megafaunal species over the previous 60,000 years.
Scientists can observe the fossils to determine which species went extinct and why it happened. Robin O'Keefe, Marshall University professor in biological sciences and lead author says Los Angeles fossils from Ice Age open a window to understand the timing and dynamics of what happened to larger mammals from Southern California when they went extinct.
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