Pleistocene Ice Ages and Mammal Mega-Fauna Flashcards

1
Q

When was “Last Glacial Maximum” (LGM)?

A
  • started 25 kyr and ended 11 kyr ago
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2
Q

Mastodon Teeth vs. Mammoth Teeth

A

Mastodon: more jagged like (for browsing)

Mammoth: look a lot like modern elephant teeth (stacked for grazing)

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3
Q

Ice Age Carnivores of North America

A

American Lion, and American cheetah, Sabertooth Cat, Dire Wolf, Short-Faced Bears

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4
Q

La Brea Tar Pits

A
  • California

- predators remains greatly outnumber number of prey remains

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5
Q

Quartnernary (end-Pleistocene) Mega-Fauna Extinction

A
  • affected only those above 44 Kg. (and only land mammals)
  • affected all continents but at different times
  • dated at about 11 kyr B.P. (end-Pleistocene) in North America
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6
Q

Evidence Supporting Overkill Hypothesis

A

For: timing of extinctions occurred relative to the arrival of humans in North America

For: evidence of mega-fauna being hunted

For: mega-fauna tend to take longer to raise children making it easier for generations to go extinct

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7
Q

Evidence Against Overkill Hypothesis

A

Against: Mega-fauna in Australia went extinct long before humans arrive

Against: Bison were hunted too, how are they still around today?

Against: extinctions happened in North America before Bearing Land Bridge

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8
Q

What are corollaries to large body size in mammals and why might this make them susceptible to extinction?

A
  • greater individual longevity
  • longer pregnancies (like miserably long, poor them)
  • longer time to reach sexual maturity
  • birth fewer offspring
  • not as many individual mega-fauna to keep up with hunting humans
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9
Q

Wrangel Island Refugium

A
  • place of the last mammoths (Pygmy Mammoths)

- died ~6 kyr after End-Pleistocene Megafauna Extinction

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