Cows may remain the largest mammals on earth in a few centuries, according to a new study examining the extinction of large mammals as humans populate every corner of the globe.
The spread of mankind and associated species like Neanderthals from Africa thousands of years ago coincided with the extinction of megafauna such as mammoths, toothed tigers, and gliptodon, a creature similar to armadillon but the size of a car.
"Humans targeted large species of meat, while smaller creatures like rodents escaped," the report said, examining the trend over 125,000 years. In North America, the average body mass of mammals has been reduced to 7.6 kg from 98 kg when people arrived. If the trend continues, the largest mammal above ground in a few hundred years, could be a tamed cow of about 900 kg, the researchers write. This means that elephants, giraffes and hippopotamus will be lost. In March, the last white male rhinoceros on earth died in Kenya.
However, other reports cast doubt on the continued reduction of mammals, in part because of efforts to repel threats to wildlife such as climate change, loss of forest habitats, pollution and expanding cities.
The spread of mankind and associated species like Neanderthals from Africa thousands of years ago coincided with the extinction of megafauna such as mammoths, toothed tigers, and gliptodon, a creature similar to armadillon but the size of a car.
"Humans targeted large species of meat, while smaller creatures like rodents escaped," the report said, examining the trend over 125,000 years. In North America, the average body mass of mammals has been reduced to 7.6 kg from 98 kg when people arrived. If the trend continues, the largest mammal above ground in a few hundred years, could be a tamed cow of about 900 kg, the researchers write. This means that elephants, giraffes and hippopotamus will be lost. In March, the last white male rhinoceros on earth died in Kenya.
However, other reports cast doubt on the continued reduction of mammals, in part because of efforts to repel threats to wildlife such as climate change, loss of forest habitats, pollution and expanding cities.
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