Dr. Dunn emphasized that this pattern could not account for the notable disappearance of large mammals elsewhere in the world at the end of the last ice age.
“But in order to understand the global event, you really need to look at a regional scale,” she said.
The researchers noted that it was hard to absorb the similarity of current events to those in the fossil record.
“Many of the most threatened wildlife today are the remaining large-bodied mammals that didn’t go extinct” at the end of the last ice age, Dr. Lindsey said.
But, she added, “because we caused this, we have the power to stop it.”
Persons:
O’Keefe, ”, Dunn, ” Anthony Barnosky, Dr, Barnosky, Lindsey
Organizations:
University of California
Locations:
Southern California, Australia, Berkeley