Human arrival caused most global megafaunal extinctions.

Evidence

Not only did ancient hunter-gatherers expand into most of the earth’s terrestrial ecosystems, we probably also contributed to the extinction of much of its megafauna—that is, to the extinction of large vertebrates like mammoths, mastodons, giant deer, woolly rhinos, immense ground sloths, and giant armadillos, as well as some species of elephants, hippos, and lions. … These, along with 55 other megafaunal species, went extinct in the wake of our arrival, resulting in the loss of 88% of Australia’s big vertebrates. Tens of thousands of years later, when humans finally arrived in the Americas, 83 genera of megafauna went extinct, including horses, camels, mammoths, giant sloths, lions, and dire wolves, representing a loss of over 75% of the existing megafauna. — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success, 65

Categorization

• CANDY: Hunters wiped out 88% of Australia’s big vertebrates, which is a surprising scale figure.
• XREF: connects to: Pre-industrial humans drove megafaunal extinctions wherever they newly arrived. — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success: How Culture…, 64

Broader Connections

• Pre-industrial humans drove megafaunal extinctions wherever they newly arrived. #corroborates (0.97) — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success, 64