Neanderthals

Megafauna are K-selected. But a lot of extinctions are r-selected species.There is a hypothesis out that presents the idea that humans preyed upon all age groups of species and extreme k-selected species were outcompeted by lesser k-selected species such as bison. This is due to the unusual human practice of hunting not just the old and young from a population as they tend to hunt reproducing adults as the opportunity presents itself.Then here's another one to look at: Heat ovulation reduction hypothesis

Yup, knew that. But part of the problem with the over kill hypothesis is that there is a simultaneous extinction of non-megafaunal species. Another is the fact that one big animal will feed a few people for a long time, especially if you can freeze the meat. Another is that African megafauna have survived fairly well despite human predation for thousands of years.I really have a tough time with the pathogen hypothesis as well. We see very diverse species all disappearing at the same time. What it's going to take is a species by species evaluation of what happened and then we have to consider what effect each species has on the ecosystem as a whole. Maybe some grasses did much better with mammoths stomping on them and they too died out when the mammoths did as well. Then in turn you have rodents that have lost their preferred food and they don't do so well.------------------
Bringer of fire, trickster, teacher.

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Note: If you and Rei are interested in discussing extinction in more detail, should I make a separate thread? We are drifting off of the topic but I think the discussion is interesting and am up for it.

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Sure, that'd be great although I do have some ideas about the effect primative humans have had on megafauna, so in that way it isn't too far off topic.

Hmmm...still stunned from the game tonight. Feeling funkier than usual.I'm saying that the isolation was not that large. I'm also saying that the inbreeding would lead to a significant loss of genetic diversity.

I don't think 500 miles would be too far to walk for some sex, especially if there was none available nearby.Also consider that the population would not be evenly distributed throughout the range, they would not be living on the slopes of the Himalayas for example and they would also probably congregate at resources such as water and stone for tool making.Kick it around and if you are ever in the mood, try and disprove the Out of Africa hypothesis. If it's a sound hypothesis, it will stand up to the abuse. I have not always been a devotee of the MRH, I only began to take a look at it about 10 years ago.I also wonder sometimes at my sanity, yelling at a TV screen is a bad thing sometimes. But I didn't feel so bad after Boone hit that homer and my neighbor was really raising hell. His voice really carries sometimes. ------------------
Bringer of fire, trickster, teacher.