Discuss on the Megafaunal extinctions in the New World
(1) Megafaunal extinctions in the New World pose a major issue for understanding human colonization of the North and South America and possible impacts on the Pleistocene environment (see the Feder readings and articles in the Week 4 Module). Using the available evidence, argue in favor of one of the theories formed to explain the cause of megafauna’s extinction. Is this a human-related process that archaeology would help explain? Or more of an environmental factor?
To get full credit, students should include in-text citations and a bibliography with all submitted written work, completely documenting which sources they are using, even the course lectures. Bibliographies will not be counted toward the final word count of the assignment.
An example of an in-text citation: “Feder’s book includes references to early human fossil forms such as Homo erectus (Feder 2019: 120).” Citations should be formal and follow a common archaeological format (e.g., American Antiquity, American Psychology Association, or Chicago Manual of Style) with all pertinent information (author name, year, and page number for quotations).
An example of a bibliographic reference: Feder, James 2019. The Past in Perspective: An Introduction to Human Prehistory. 8th edition. New York: Oxford University Press).
