The Extinct Ice Age Mammals of North America

University of Washington Anthropology Professor Donald Grayson and recipient of the 2015 University Faculty Lecture Award delivers the University Faculty Lecture on April 28, 2016. Toward the end of the Ice Age, North America saw the extinction of an astonishing variety of often huge animals. Mammoths, mastodons, saber-toothed cats, lions, armadillos the size of small cars, sloths the size of elephants, beavers the size of bears, and many others were all gone by about 10,000 years ago. We do not know what caused these extinctions, but our knowledge of the Ice Age archaeology and paleontology of the deserts of western North America provides a novel opportunity to examine the common but contentious argument that people were behind all of them.
Donald K. Grayson, professor, Department of Anthropology, UW
04/2/2016
washington.edu/boundless/diggi...
uwtv.org

[@zenolachance1181]

After my retirement I became fascinated with Ice Age Extinction oh, but I have never been to a lecture because I always thought it would be full of college kids. Looking at the audience at the end of this video I see that there are many people my age interested in this. I may have to begin going to lectures

[@shilohgardner]

Me and my son have been hunting a plyocene deposit on the Arkansas river. He’s found one Mastodon skull and one jaw bone. We find tons of bison skulls there. Hoping to find some of these now!

[@robertjohnso7087]

What an eloquent, brilliant individual. I’m grateful to have heard this lecture. Thank you !!!

[@MaryAnnNytowl]

I really enjoyed this presentation! As much as it's very painful to me to sit in one spot for as long as this lasted, I would have doubled up on the pain med that I can safely double up on, and sat, rapt, throughout the whole thing!

[@holdinitdowninptown]

If you notice on the known locations of 90% of these species have been found in one particular formation in southern Florida. I'm fortunate enough to live within driving distance and anyone thats been there you are literally walking into the ice age. The amount of phosphorus material there is astounding.

[@forestdweller5581]

Excellent presentation. Grayson provides the best arguments i have seen why hunter-gatherers could not have caused the magafauna extinction. Most of all, i love it when a researcher can simply say how we just don't know yet.

[@nathanokun8801]

Note that there seems to be a weight limit of surviving big ancient mammals of under 150 pounds. Just like there was a maximum weight of the animals that survived the end of the Cretaceous of somewhat less (~50 pounds if I recall). Big animals cannot hide from other animals or from environmental catastrophes and need more food, so curtains to them...

[@MrDragonball2000]

As a big fan of the Megafauna, I enjoyed this presentation. Though I know not everyone enjoys it, younger audience and future paleontologist will.

[@danttapp4446]

I really liked the fact that you answered a lot of questions, but you also asked a lot of questions. An excellant presentation.

[@energ8t]

I really loved the plants and ice age mammal connection. Intriguing

[@mikeymasters8459]

I normally don’t watch entire lectures on KZbin. That being said, this was excellent and I enjoyed the entire lecture. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@Hemiauchenia]

Absolutely fascinating!!!

[@johncronin2999]

The best and funniest guy ever to present an extinction video! 👏👏👏

[@CritterLizard]

Fantastic! Thank you for sharing!!

[@alexbowman7582]

There’s a heavy element, tiny diamonds and charred layer in North America presumably from an asteroid or comet strike which sublimated or melted much of the Laurentide ice shelf almost instantly causing a climate and ecological disaster which seemingly ended the Clovis culture and many species.

[@nolebez6850]

I wonder what type of fossils fuels clovis was using to end that ice age.

[@PUBHEAD1]

I really liked this lecture.

[@darcidecaesaria9071]

I have found these river rocks that when scrubbed, you can see paintings and sculptures,a few I have found show mammoth and human bonding.

[@AutoTerminator]

This is so fascinating I love it

[@WildBillCox13]

The concentration of remains at choke points, like La Brea, had me thinking there was plenty of megafauna around-just like the Savanna today. We see the same mechanic with crocodile stake outs at water holes during the dry season. Plenty of big game, despite the visual paucity from any generic vantage. You just need to find its collecting points; water holes, creche valleys, high forest (moose). In a different realm that find of a large collection of remains suggested lots about Allosaurs previously unsuspected.