Scientists say mankind, not climate, killed off the woolly mammoth, the saber-toothed tiger, and the giant armadillo

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
The verdict is finally in on an ancient murder mystery — and, surprise, surprise, humans are looking very guilty.
Many giant animals called megafauna — think saber-toothed tigers, woolly mammoths, and giant armadillos — went extinct thousands of years ago, but up till now, scientists haven't been sure whether it was climate change or humans who killed them off. But researchers from Exeter and Cambridge who ran a statistical analysis comparing the timing of the animals’ extinctions with the arrival of humans and changes in climate, reached the conclusion that mankind did most of the killing.
“As far as we are concerned, this research is the nail in the coffin of this 50-year debate — humans were the dominant cause of the University of extinction of the megafauna,” researcher Lewis Bartlett said. “What we don’t know is what it was about those earlier settlers that caused this demise.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
While researchers postulate that people could’ve hunted the animals for food or just driven them out of their native habitats, one thing is for sure: “It debunks the myth of early humans living in harmony with nature.” Looks like Cecil the lion was far from mankind’s first victim.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
10 things you need to know today: September 23, 2023
Daily Briefing Sen. Bob Menendez rejects calls to resign following indictment, Ukraine launches missile attack on occupied Crimean city, and more
By Justin Klawans Published
-
China: a superpower’s slump
The Explainer After 40 years of explosive growth, China’s economy is now in deep distress — with no turnaround in sight
By The Week Staff Published
-
Retirees’ biggest surprise expense
Feature And more of the week's best financial insight
By The Week Staff Published
-
Russian lunar spacecraft crashes into the moon
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Hurricane Hilary bringing unprecedented storm warnings to Southwest
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
NASA fully restores contact with Voyager 2 spacecraft
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
The US just banned most incandescent light bulbs, and few people even noticed
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
NASA loses contact with Voyager 2 probe
Speed Read
By Devika Rao Published
-
20 dead and 27 missing after lethal downpour in Beijing
Speed Read
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Biden keeps U.S. Space Command in Colorado, reversing Trump move to Alabama
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Scientists revive 46,000-year-old worm that was frozen in permafrost
Speed Read
By Devika Rao Published