TY - JOUR
T1 - Asynchronous extinction of late Quaternary sloths on continents and islands
AU - Steadman, David W.
AU - Martin, Paul S.
AU - MacPhee, Ross D.E.
AU - Jull, A. J.T.
AU - Gregory McDonald, H.
AU - Woods, Charles A.
AU - Iturralde-Vinent, Manuel
AU - Hodgins, Gregory W.L.
PY - 2005/8/16
Y1 - 2005/8/16
N2 - Whatever the cause, it is extraordinary that dozens of genera of large mammals became extinct during the late Quaternary throughout the Western Hemisphere, including 90% of the genera of the xenarthran suborder Phyllophaga (sloths). Radiocarbon dates directly on dung, bones, or other tissue of extinct sloths place their "last appearance" datum at ≈11,000 radiocarbon years before present (yr BP) or slightly less in North America, ≈10,500 yr BP in South America, and ≈4,400 yr BP on West Indian islands. This asynchronous situation is not compatible with glacial-interglacial climate change forcing these extinctions, especially given the great elevational, latitudinal, and longitudinal variation of the sloth-bearing continental sites. Instead, the chronology of last appearance of extinct sloths, whether on continents or islands, more closely tracks the first arrival of people.
AB - Whatever the cause, it is extraordinary that dozens of genera of large mammals became extinct during the late Quaternary throughout the Western Hemisphere, including 90% of the genera of the xenarthran suborder Phyllophaga (sloths). Radiocarbon dates directly on dung, bones, or other tissue of extinct sloths place their "last appearance" datum at ≈11,000 radiocarbon years before present (yr BP) or slightly less in North America, ≈10,500 yr BP in South America, and ≈4,400 yr BP on West Indian islands. This asynchronous situation is not compatible with glacial-interglacial climate change forcing these extinctions, especially given the great elevational, latitudinal, and longitudinal variation of the sloth-bearing continental sites. Instead, the chronology of last appearance of extinct sloths, whether on continents or islands, more closely tracks the first arrival of people.
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U2 - 10.1073/pnas.0502777102
DO - 10.1073/pnas.0502777102
M3 - Article
C2 - 16085711
AN - SCOPUS:23844496408
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 102
SP - 11763
EP - 11768
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 33
ER -