Final answer:
The Pleistocene Extinction resulted in the extinction of large game animals such as woolly mammoths and giant sloths around 10,000-12,000 years ago. Upper Paleolithic peoples hunted these animals, which are collectively known as Pleistocene megafauna. Current research indicates that human hunting, possibly alongside climate change, contributed to these extinctions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Pleistocene Extinction and Megafauna
The Pleistocene Extinction event marks a time period when a significant number of megafauna went extinct approximately 10,000 to 12,000 years ago at the end of the last glaciation period. Animals such as the woolly mammoths, mastodon, giant beavers, giant ground sloths, saber-toothed cats, and the North American camel are examples of megafauna that became extinct during this period.
Upper Paleolithic peoples, including the Clovis and Cro-Magnons, were known to hunt large game such as mammoths, bison, and giant sloths which are collectively known as Pleistocene beasts. Archival evidence from archaeological sites and cave paintings indicates how these hunts were conducted, often involving sophisticated tools and cooperation. The hypothesis that over-hunting by humans contributed to these extinctions continues to be investigated alongside other factors such as climate change.
By analyzing DNA evidence, studying archaeological sites, and examining the timing of these extinctions relative to the arrival of humans, scientists continue to explore the roles that human hunting and environmental changes played in the collapse of these once thriving species. Pleistocene megafauna were integral parts of their ecosystems, and their loss marks a significant event in prehistoric human history and evolutionary biodiversity.