Re: mass extinction

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 19:57:03 -0500, Jeff Hecht wrote
> 
> That's an important part of the evidence that humans were linked to 
> the Pleistocene extinction -- our widespread presence was something 
> that differed from prior interglacials.

In cases like New Zealand, megafaunal extinction was very rapid after the 
introduction of feral primates, and their activities can probably be blamed. 
However in other areas (like Australia) where there was a long coexistance 
(tens of thousands of years), those pesky primates certainly weren't the sole 
reason for megafaunal extinction. They may not even have been the main 
reason. 

No doubt hunting activities and land clearance didn't help, however middle-
class guilt and political correctness are not good reasons to lump the blame 
entirely on us poor maligned hominids. We're not *completely* evil. :)

--
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Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist         http://heretichides.soffiles.com
Melbourne, Australia        http://www.geocities.com/dannsdinosaurs
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