Macroecological analyses support an overkill scenario for late Pleistocene extinctions

摘要: The extinction of megafauna at the end Pleistocene has been traditionally explained by environmental changes or overexploitation human hunting (overkill). Despite difficulties in choosing between these alternative (and not mutually exclusive) scenarios, plausibility overkill hypothesis can be established ecological models predator-prey interactions. In this paper, I have developed a macroecological model for hypothesis, which prey population dynamic parameters, including abundance, geographic extent, and food supply hunters, were derived from empirical allometric relationships with body mass. last output correctly predicts final destiny (survival extinction) 73% species considered, value only slightly smaller than those obtained more complex based on detailed archaeological data each species. This illustrates high selectivity relation to mass confers scenario.