Recent research reveals that human hunting played a significant role in the extinction of numerous elephant-like species over the past 2 million years. An AI-assisted analysis of thousands of fossils indicates that the extinction rate for these animals surged fivefold with the emergence of early humans around 1.8 million years ago, reaching even higher levels with the arrival of modern humans. Currently, only three species of elephants have survived from this diverse group.
According to findings presented by researchers at the University of Fribourg, early humans likely disrupted a thriving population of proboscideans, a group of animals that once numbered in the millions before humans evolved. The study highlights that the extinction of numerous elephant-like species correlated closely with human expansion.
At the beginning of this period, approximately 30 species of proboscideans existed, including one species known as Deinotherium bozasi, recognized for its distinctive downward-curving tusks. This species vanished nearly one million years ago. By the time modern humans began to migrate approximately 130,000 years ago, only 15 species of proboscideans remained, leading to the eventual extinction of most, with only the Asian elephant and two African elephant species surviving today.
The research team developed a groundbreaking statistical model that evaluates the dynamics between extinction rates and the emergence of new species, taking a comprehensive view of various influencing factors, including those related to climate and geography. Their findings indicate that human overlap is the most significant contributor to species extinction among the proboscideans, followed closely by geographic factors and anatomical traits such as tusk shape.
This study adds credence to the overkill hypothesis, supporting the notion that human hunting played a critical role in these extinctions. Similar studies have previously shown that even minimal hunting pressure can lead to the rapid decline of slow-breeding animals, emphasizing the vulnerability of these species to human activities.
While some studies suggest climate change may have driven extinctions, this latest analysis prioritizes human impact as a more critical factor in the decline of proboscideans. Historical evidence indicates that early humans coexisted with some of the most well-known extinct elephant species, including the massive Palaeoloxodon of Eurasia and the iconic woolly mammoth, which thrived even as technological advancements occurred among prehistoric humans.
