It is readily evident that humanity holds a tight grip on the Earth's climate and its diverse species today. But this might also have been true for tens of thousands of years, our species has been disrupting the delicate web of life on this planet, as revealed by recent research.
While past studies often attributed the extinction of large mammals to climate change, a new investigation points fingers at humans. Around 100,000 years ago, as mammoths roamed icy plains and sabre-toothed tigers prowled jungles, Homo sapiens, armed with razor-sharp spears, ascended the food chain, leaving a trail of declines and extinctions.
Venturing out of Africa, our adaptable ancestors conquered deserts, mountains, and icy taigas. Masterful hunters, they turned Earth, once resonating with roars and stomps, into an unsettling silence. Yet, the impact extended beyond extinction; survivors like elephants and kangaroos have also faced an alarming decline in their populations, as revealed by a recent DNA study of 139 living megafauna.
Lead researcher Juraj Bergman underscores the study's significance, relying on DNA sequencing to estimate historical population sizes by analysing genetic mutations. The selected species offer a diverse perspective on population trends, with a focus on neutral genetic areas less influenced by environmental factors.
Challenging climate-driven extinction theories, Jens-Christian Svenning notes that most extinct megafauna inhabited temperate or tropical climates, discrediting climate as the sole explanatory model. The ongoing academic debate between climate change and human migration theories echoes through history, marking Earth as a testament to humanity's dominance.
