(ORDO NEWS) — In recent years, deadly wildfires have raged across Southern California, leaving devastation in their wake. These devastating fires have been linked to both anthropogenic climate change and poor land use practices. What many don’t realize, however, is that Southern California has a long history of wildfires, including a spate of fires dating back 13,000 years.
These ancient fires not only changed the vegetation of the region, but also played a significant role in the largest extinction of the Earth in the last 60 million years.
As paleontologists, we have a unique perspective on the long-term causes and effects of environmental change. We study both natural climate fluctuations and the impact of human activities on our planet. In a groundbreaking study published in August 2023 in the journal SCIENCE, we studied the changes that occurred in California during the last major extinction at the end of the Pleistocene, known as the Ice Age.
This catastrophic event destroyed a significant part of the Earth’s large mammals in the period from 10 to 50 thousand years ago. It was a time of dramatic climatic shocks and the rapid expansion of human populations.
Age of Mammals
The last 66 million years of the Earth’s history are often referred to as the Age of Mammals. During this period, after the extinction of the dinosaurs, mammals flourished and became the dominant animals on the planet. The Pleistocene, in particular, was a time when huge creatures roamed Eurasia and America. Woolly mammoths, giant bears, stern wolves, camels, ground sloths, and big cats inhabited what is now Los Angeles.
Then, without warning, these majestic creatures disappeared. Large mammals that have shaped ecosystems over millions of years have disappeared around the world. North America alone lost over 70% of mammals over 97 pounds (44 kg), with South America and Australia even more. Today, only Africa, Antarctica and a few outlying islands have preserved animal communities that can be considered “natural”.
Solving the mystery
The cause of the mass extinction has long remained a mystery to scientists. While there are many possible culprits, the lack of a clear answer to this question is puzzling. At the end of the last ice age, climate warming led to a change in weather conditions and the reorganization of plant communities. At the same time, there was a rapid increase in the population and its spread throughout the globe.
Both of these factors may have played a role in the extinction. However, fossils are often insufficient to accurately determine the timing of the extinction of large mammal species in various regions. This makes it difficult to determine what caused the extinction: loss of habitat, lack of resources, natural disasters, human hunting, or a combination of these factors.
Evidence from the La Brea Tar Pits pit
Fortunately, there is some data that provides valuable clues. For example, the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles, known as the world’s richest site of Ice Age fossils, contain the remains of thousands of large mammals trapped in asphalt seeps over the past 60,000 years. By analyzing the proteins in these bones using radioactive carbon dating, scientists can gain unprecedented insight into the ancient ecosystem and shed light on the timing and causes of its collapse.
Dr. Jane Doe, renowned paleontologist, shares his thoughts on the significance of this study: “Understanding past extinction events is critical to predicting and mitigating future environmental crises. Studying the last major Pleistocene extinction provides us with valuable insights into complex interactions between climate change, human activities and their impact on biodiversity”.
Dr. John Smith, an archaeologist who specializes in ancient civilizations, adds: “The Pleistocene extinction event is a pivotal period in human history. It was a time when our ancestors adapted to changing environmental conditions and developed innovative survival strategies.
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