Between 17,000 and 12,000 years ago (the estimated date is 15,000 years ago with an uncertainty of 2,000-3,000 years), several species of large mammals became extinct in the Americas. Until then, the American West resembled the African Serengeti, with herds of elephants, horses, and even camels hunted by lions, jaguars, and saber-toothed tigers. Here too, as with Australia and New Guinea, the culprit was most likely the arrival of humans and intensive hunting. In some cases, there is evidence of extinctions in areas like the Grand Canyon, only a few centuries after humans arrived. We’re talking about species that had thrived for millions of years and had survived at least 22 previous ice ages unscathed.
