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Did a catastrophe at about 12.8 ka cause the North American megafaunal extinctions and the end of Clovis?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·3 answers·0·0 following
Most likely: extinctions were driven by climate change and human hunting over a longer period; Clovis gave way to…Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

Where it stands

Three answers have been proposed. Extinctions were driven by climate change and human hunting over a longer period; Clovis gave way to… leads, with evidence 1 for: partly supported by its tests. Two are still possible.

Why it matters

The hypothesis was built on the observation of Clovis tools and megafaunal bones below a dark layer⁠[1]. It predicts a sharp extinction and population decline at one moment, which the radiocarbon record can test⁠[2].

Answers 3

Evidence: 1 for
Most likely
None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible
Evidence: 1 for, 1 against
Disputed

History

  1. Firestone et al. puts forward: the impact's fires and climate effects killed off the megafauna and broke Clovis society within a short time.
  2. Faith & Surovell: last-appearance dates are consistent with extinction of many genera in a short window at the end of the…For: The impact's fires and climate effects killed off the megafauna and broke Clovis society within a short time.
  3. Holliday et al. puts forward: extinctions were driven by climate change and human hunting over a longer period; Clovis gave way to…
  4. Holliday et al.: archaeological data show no population decline or major adaptive shift at or just after 12.9 ka.Against: The impact's fires and climate effects killed off the megafauna and broke Clovis society within a short time.
  5. Holliday et al.: late Pleistocene extinctions varied in time and space.For: Extinctions were driven by climate change and human hunting over a longer period; Clovis gave way to…
  6. Asked on this site
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