Same idea I have about the Younger Dryas event ~ before the event humans could not readily move permanently into verdant grasslands full of game because of the high population of big cats. After the event, humans owned the place because the cats were gone.
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I thought the problem was the big short faced bear.
A human would be easy prey for a 2,000 lb predator that could run 40mph. Clovis man seemed able to cope with such a critter, but they seemed to have disappeared about the same time the bears did.
The cats were dominant ~ bears were among their ‘game’ ~ doesn’t mean the bears and wolves were nice folks. Look up SABRE TOOTHED TIGER ~ there were three major species ~ all bad ~