A premature burial: comments on Grayson and Meltzer's “Requiem for overkill”

摘要: In a recent JAS article (“A requiem for North American overkill”), Donald Grayson and David Meltzer [39] attack Paul Martin’s “overkill” hypothesis that humans caused America’s Terminal Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions. This is one of three similar articles by these authors [37–39] in which, scrupulous evaluation the archaeological record, they have reduced list unambiguous instances human interactions with now-extinct mammals America to 14 proboscidean kill sites. We applaud their informed skepticism about evidence, especially since us (Haynes) wrote set strict standards used analyses. Regrettably, did not exercise same critical scrutiny caution when evaluated purported evidence pre-Clovis occupation South [24,76]. Although assessment Late record laudable, unfortunately make numerous mistakes, indulge unwarranted ad hominem rhetoric, thus grossly misrepresent overkill debate. this comment, we first briefly address those aspects papers represent mere theatrical posturing, then turn our attention more serious errors fact interpretation. First, theater. A phrase repeated or paraphrased each “a faith-based policy statement rather than scientific past, an credo hypothesis” ([39], p. 591). By denying very legitimacy hypothesis, seek preclude any further engagement its advocates. Science advanced such dogmatic dismissal competing hypotheses. Also but unfounded are points chose emphasize summary: (1) has been rejected western Europe (it decidedly knowledgeable experts, as A.J. Stuart [100] colleagues [101]), (2) Martin only reason still discussed Australia (also wrong—see, example, work Alroy [6,7], Flannery [27–29], O’Connell [85]), (3) “there virtually no evidence” support overkill, show reply, absolutely wrong. fact, think there far climate change principal cause