Tracking late-Quaternary extinctions in interior Alaska using megaherbivore bone remains and dung fungal spores

摘要: One major challenge in the study of late-Quaternary extinctions (LQEs) is providing better estimates past megafauna abundance. To show how megaherbivore population size varied before and after last interior Alaska, we use both a database radiocarbon-dated bone remains (spanning 25–0 ka) spores obligate dung fungus, Sporormiella, recovered from lake-sediment cores 17–0 ka). Bone fossils that stage LQEs region occurred at about 13 ka ago, but number bones high into Holocene. Sporormiella abundance also Holocene does not decrease with vegetation changes recorded by arboreal pollen percentages. At two sites, interpretation was enhanced additional fungal spore types (e.g., Sordaria). In contrast to many sites where marked sharp decline abundance, Alaska our results indicate continuance albeit taxonomic turnover (including Mammuthus Equus extinction) predominantly grazing browsing dietary guilds. This new robust evidence implies regional were systematically associated crashes overall