Extinctions have always occurred and always will, so what is so
surprising about the megafauna extinctions? They were caused by humans
and were the first of many extinctions that eventually led to the
extinction of the Moa, Steller's Sea Cow, the Dodo, Great Auk and
countless other species great and small, all attributed to human
agency. Therefore, the megafauna were humans’ first great impact on
the planet. There is now an increasing realization that the
'blitzkrieg' view of these extinctions may have been wrong. A growing
body of evidence and long-term field work is beginning to show that at
least Australia's megafauna did not succumb to human agency, not
because humans probably did not hunt the odd animal but because the an
infinitely more logical reason lies in the climatic conditions of the
Quaternary Ice Ages and the affect they had on continental geography,
environment, climate and, most importantly, the biogeography of the
megafauna. This book presents the evidence of this theory,
demonstrating the biogeographic approach to Australia’s megafauna
extinction.
* Written clearly to benefit a diverse level of readers, from those
with a passing interest to professionals in the field.
* Examines future climate change and its effects on the planet by
looking at examples buried in the past
* Presents new evidence from extensive field research
Les mer
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780124077904
Publisert
2013
Utgiver
Vendor
Elsevier Science Publishing Co Inc
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
328
Forfatter