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1 July 2010 Linking Top-Down Forces to the Pleistocene Megafaunal Extinctions
William J. Ripple, Blaire Van Valkenburgh
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Abstract

Humans, in conjunction with natural top-down processes and through a sequence of cascading trophic interactions, may have contributed to the Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions. The arrival of the first humans, as hunters and scavengers, through top-down forcing, could have triggered a population collapse of large herbivores and their predators. We present evidence that the large mammalian herbivores of the North American Pleistocene were primarily predator limited and at low densities, and therefore highly susceptible to extinction when humans were added to the predator guild. Our empirical evidence comes from data on carnivore dental attrition, proboscidean age structure, life history, tusk growth rates, and stable isotopes from the fossil record. We suggest a research agenda for further testing of this hypothesis that will provide a more detailed comprehension of late Pleistocene megafaunal ecology, and thereby allow us to better understand and manage remaining megafauna.

© 2010 by American Institute of Biological Sciences. All rights reserved. Request permission to photocopy or reproduce article content at the University of California Press's Rights and Permissions Web site at www.ucpressjournals.com/reprintinfo.asp.
William J. Ripple and Blaire Van Valkenburgh "Linking Top-Down Forces to the Pleistocene Megafaunal Extinctions," BioScience 60(7), 516-526, (1 July 2010). https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2010.60.7.7
Published: 1 July 2010
JOURNAL ARTICLE
11 PAGES

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KEYWORDS
extinctions
humans
large carnivores
megafauna
Pleistocene
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