Expert: Ralph Salier - 7/13/2008

Question
What is your opinion of the hypothesis that claims the first people in North America over-hunted and caused the extinction of several large species of mammals?
Recently new evidence of a possible comet/meteor impact was presented that shows it could have caused the extinction of those mammals.  It may also be part of the reason there are so few sites proving the first people lived here long before the 12,000 BCE timeline.  Is there anything in your tribe’s oral history that you think might be related to such an event?


Answer
Hi Trish,

Not being a Native American but knowing many stories of various tribes, I am not aware of any "comet" stories which may have changed the world. But the Native Americans living in NA today, were not the same peoples who came from Asia or Europe prior to 12,000.  

I do believe however that human hunting may have been a contributing factor in the extinction but more to the point, the climate was changing rapidly from the Ice Ages to a warmer climate and it could nolonger support the mega fauna that was around.  A meteor may have been to blame for the current very narrow genetic pool we come from which may have occured some 72,000 years ago.  However, I am not aware of any theoretical work that indicates a later one effecting NA alone.