Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis supported as best explanation for extinctions. Arbuthnot argues something cataclysmic occurred at the end of the last ice age Approximately 75% or more of megafauna went extinct at this time, including insects and bird species Extinction events did not occur to the same extent in other parts of the world
Arbuthnot makes the case that something cataclysmic struck at the end of the last ice age, wiping out 75% or more of megafauna along with insect and bird species, a level of extinction not seen elsewhere. Citing microdiamond and Carolina Bay research, he applies Occam's razor, arguing catastrophe plus human hunting is more parsimonious than overhunting alone.
Key Facts
- Arbuthnot argues something cataclysmic occurred at the end of the last ice age
- Approximately 75% or more of megafauna went extinct at this time, including insects and bird species
- Extinction events did not occur to the same extent in other parts of the world
- Supporting evidence includes research on microdiamonds and Carolina bays
- Arbuthnot applies Occam's razor, arguing catastrophe plus human hunting is more parsimonious than overhunting alone
- In the late 1990s during grad school, catastrophe theories were still considered absurd; acceptance grew within roughly 10 years
Source: Randall Carlson Is Opening a University by The Cosmic Summit