[Carry_Okie]

As to whether humans alone or climate change caused the megafauna extinction, I'm an "all of the above" guy:

1. People were here feasting on large animals.
2. A comet hit, causing massive climate disruption.
3. Times were pretty desperate. People finished off the megafauna.

Humans can be amazing survivors.

[pierrem15]

People were here feasting on large animals.

Human predation of large herbivores is actually worse for the species than other predators.

Why? Because unlike obligate carnivores, human metabolism cannot convert protein to sugars without also digesting our own muscle tissue. And we need a lot of calories, especially in a cold climate, because our brains use 25% of average caloric intake and our body shape and size means large heat loss. Inuit living a traditional lifestyle need 9,000 - 12,000 calories a day.

As a consequence, humans hunt large animals in their prime to get the fat, which more adversely affects the breeding population. So human predation pressure is actually greater per human on large animals than other predators.

[minnesota_bound]

#5 Times were pretty desperate. People finished off the megafauna.

Instead of eating meat the people back then made salad? 😆😜