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Home / Equine Research Bank / Proc Biol Sci / Climate warming and humans played different roles in trigger...
Proceedings. Biological sciences2017; 284(1851); 20162438; doi: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2438

Climate warming and humans played different roles in triggering Late Quaternary extinctions in east and west Eurasia.

Abstract: Climate change and humans are proposed as the two key drivers of total extinction of many large mammals in the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene, but disentangling their relative roles remains challenging owing to a lack of quantitative evaluation of human impact and climate-driven distribution changes on the extinctions of these large mammals in a continuous temporal-spatial dimension. Here, our analyses showed that temperature change had significant effects on mammoth (genus ), rhinoceros (Rhinocerotidae), horse (Equidae) and deer (Cervidae). Rapid global warming was the predominant factor driving the total extinction of mammoths and rhinos in frigid zones from the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene. Humans showed significant, negative effects on extirpations of the four mammalian taxa, and were the predominant factor causing the extinction or major extirpations of rhinos and horses. Deer survived both rapid climate warming and extensive human impacts. Our study indicates that both the current rates of warming and range shifts of species are much faster than those from the Late Pleistocene to Holocene. Our results provide new insight into the extinction of Late Quaternary megafauna by demonstrating taxon-, period- and region-specific differences in extinction drivers of climate change and human disturbances, and some implications about the extinction risk of animals by recent and ongoing climate warming.
© 2017 The Author(s).
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Publication Date: 2017-03-24 PubMed ID: 28330916PubMed Central: PMC5378077DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2438Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research explores the different roles of climate change and human impact in the extinction of large mammals during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene periods in east and west Eurasia. The study suggests that climate change, particularly rapid global warming, was the primary driver for the extinction of mammoths and rhinos in cold regions. However, human activities significantly contributed to the extinction or major decline of rhinos and horses.

Methodology

  • The researchers gathered and examined data related to the distribution changes and extinction patterns of large mammals from the Late Pleistocene to the Early Holocene period.
  • They specifically analyzed the effects of climate change, focusing on temperature shifts, and human impact on four mammals – mammoths, rhinoceros, horse and deer.
  • The analysis was conducted keeping in mind a continuous temporal-spatial dimension, adding complexity and depth to the evaluation.

Findings

  • The research revealed that rapid global warming significantly contributed to the total extinction of mammoths and rhinos in frigid zones during the period under study.
  • Human impact played a significant role in the decline and extinction of rhinos and horses, showing negative effects across all four mammalian species examined.
  • Despite both rapid climate change and intensive human activities, deer were noted to have survived these drastic changes.

Implications

  • The study indicates that current rates of climate warming and species range shifts are happening at much faster rates compared to the Late Pleistocene to Holocene era.
  • The researchers highlight that their findings present new understanding into the causes of extinction of the Late Quaternary megafauna, demonstrating that different periods, regions, and species experienced different drivers for extinction due to climate change and human disturbances.
  • This research could provide valuable insights in predicting and possibly mitigating the extinction risk of current animal species due to ongoing rapid climate warming.

Cite This Article

APA
Wan X, Zhang Z. (2017). Climate warming and humans played different roles in triggering Late Quaternary extinctions in east and west Eurasia. Proc Biol Sci, 284(1851), 20162438. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.2438

Publication

Proceedings. Biological sciences
ISSN: 1471-2954
NlmUniqueID: 101245157
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 284
Issue: 1851
PII: 20162438

Researcher Affiliations

Wan, Xinru
  • State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.
  • University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China.
Zhang, Zhibin
  • State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China zhangzb@ioz.ac.cn.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Climate Change
  • Deer
  • Extinction, Biological
  • Global Warming
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • Mammoths
  • Perissodactyla

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Citations

This article has been cited 7 times.
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