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. 2021 Apr 12;12(1):2175.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22506-4.

Late Pleistocene South American megafaunal extinctions associated with rise of Fishtail points and human population

Luciano Prates #  1   2 , S Ivan Perez #  3   4
Affiliations

Late Pleistocene South American megafaunal extinctions associated with rise of Fishtail points and human population

Luciano Prates et al. Nat Commun. .

Abstract

In the 1970s, Paul Martin proposed that big game hunters armed with fluted projectile points colonized the Americas and drove the extinction of megafauna. Around fifty years later, the central role of humans in the extinctions is still strongly debated in North American archaeology, but little considered in South America. Here we analyze the temporal dynamic and spatial distribution of South American megafauna and fluted (Fishtail) projectile points to evaluate the role of humans in Pleistocene extinctions. We observe a strong relationship between the temporal density and spatial distribution of megafaunal species stratigraphically associated with humans and Fishtail projectile points, as well as with the fluctuations in human demography. On this basis we propose that the direct effect of human predation was the main factor driving the megafaunal decline, with other secondary, but necessary, co-occurring factors for the collapse of the megafaunal community.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Summed probability distribution curves for South America.
The temporal change in the density of large mammals (or megafauna) (light green shading), FPP (light-blue shading), and archeological sites (beige shading) reflected in the SCPD curves for all of South America. X axis represents Calibrated years BP and Y axis the standardized summed probability.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Regional differences in summed probability distribution curves within South America.
The temporal change in the density of large mammals (a), Fishtail projectile points (b), and all archeological sites (c) described using SCPD curves. Different regions are indicated in shading colors: Andes (light blues), Pampa (light red), Patagonia (light green). X axis represents Calibrated years BP and Y axis the standardized summed probability.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Spatial distribution of southernmost megafaunal species.
Potential distribution maps of the Mylodon darwinii, Hippidion saldiasi, and Lama gracilis during the late Pleistocene–early Holocene (18 k–9 k cal BP). Values of potential distribution vary from 0 (light beige) to 1 (dark green). Empty dots represent species occurrence sites. The taxonomy of Lama gracilis is under discussion. It has been mainly considered a vicariant of Vicugna vicugna in the low plains, but some morphological and molecular studies suggest that L. gracilis and V. vicugna may be the same species–.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. Spatial distribution of Pampean megafaunal species.
Potential distribution maps of Equus neogeus, Doedicurus clavicaudatus, Megatherium americanum, and Glossotherium robustum during the late Pleistocene–early Holocene (18 k–9 k cal BP). Values of potential distribution vary from 0 (light beige) to 1 (dark green). Empty dots represent species occurrence sites.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5. Spatial distribution of northernmost megafaunal species.
Potential distribution maps of Notiomastodon platensis, Notiomastodon waringi, and Cuvieronius hyodon during the late Pleistocene–early Holocene (18 k–9 k cal BP). Values of potential distribution vary from 0 (light beige) to 1 (dark green). Empty dots represent species occurrence sites. Mothé et al. has proposed that N. platensis and N. waringi are the same species, but we follow Prado and Alberdi who suggest they represent two different species or two geographic variants.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6. Spatial distribution of species richness, FPP, and human occupations.
Maps describing the local species richness of extinct large mammals (18 k–9 k cal BP) (a), the potential for distribution of Fishtail projectile points (13 k–10,9 k cal BP) (b), and all archeological sites (13 k–11 k cal BP) (c). Local species richness varies from 1 (light green) to >5 (dark green), and the potential distribution of both FPP and all archeological sites vary from 0 (light blue) to 1 (dark blue).
Fig. 7
Fig. 7. Similarity in the spatial distribution of FPP, humans, and megafaunal species.
Boxplot (a) of the values for I similarity index describing niche overlap between FPP and extinct large mammals (n = 10), as well as all extinct large mammal species (n = 45). This graph shows the minimum and maximum values (whiskers), the first and third quartiles (bounds of box), and the median (centerline). nm-MDS ordination (b) describing the similarity in niche among all archeological sites, FPP, and all extinct large mammal species. The minimum spanning tree describing the I similarity matrix is shown.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8. Summary of spatial (map) and temporal (inset graph) results.
Local species richness map of extinct large mammals and the calculated potential distribution of FPP, together with the temporal change in the density of both variables for all of South America and the climatic changes following Pedro et al.. Striped areas in the map represent the potential distribution of FPP. Local species richness of extinct large mammals varies on the map from 1 (light green) to >5 (dark green). Relative climatic changes (temporal temperature curves) are indicated in beige (0–30° S) and gray (>40° S), and the ACR period in dark beige. The temporal change in the density of large mammals is represented by light green shading area (lower and upper bounds of the simulated envelope) and dashed green line (observed summed probability). The temporal change in the density of FPP is represented by light-blue shading area (lower and upper bounds of the simulated envelope) and blue line (observed summed probability). In the inset graph X axis represents Calibrated years BP and Y axis the standardized summed probability.
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