page_title: Quaternary extinction event
section_title: Nearctic: North America
hierarchical_section_title: Quaternary extinction event / Extinctions by biogeographic realm / Nearctic: North America
caption_attribution_description: Nothrotheriops shastensis.
context_page_description: The Quaternary period saw the extinctions of numerous predominantly megafaunal species, which resulted in a collapse in faunal density and diversity and the extinction of key ecological strata across the globe. The most prominent event in the Late Pleistocene is differentiated from previous Quaternary pulse extinctions by the widespread absence of ecological succession to replace these extinct species, and the regime shift of previously established faunal relationships and habitats as a consequence.
  The earliest casualties were incurred at 130,000 BCE. However, the great majority of extinctions in Afro-Eurasia and the Americas occurred during the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene epoch. This extinction wave did not stop at the end of the Pleistocene, continuing, especially on isolated islands, in human-caused extinctions, although there is debate as to whether these should be considered separate events or part of the same event.
  Among the main causes hypothesized by paleontologists are overkill by the widespread appearance of humans and natural climate change.
context_section_description: During the last 60,000 years, including the end of the last glacial period, approximately 51 genera of large mammals have become extinct in North America. Of these, many genera extinctions can be reliably attributed to a brief interval of 11,500 to 10,000 radiocarbon years before present, shortly following the arrival of the Clovis people in North America. Prominent paleontological sites include Mexico and Panama, the crossroads of the American Interchange. Most other extinctions are poorly constrained in time, though some definitely occurred outside of this narrow interval. In contrast, only about half a dozen small mammals disappeared during this time. Previous North American extinction pulses had occurred at the end of glaciations, but not with such an ecological imbalance between large mammals and small ones (Moreover, previous extinction pulses were not comparable to the Quaternary extinction event; they involved primarily species replacements within ecological niches, while the latter event resulted in many ecological niches being left unoccupied). Such include the last native North American terror bird (Titanis), rhinoceros (Aphelops) and hyena (Chasmaporthetes). Human habitation commenced unequivocally approximately 22,000 BCE north of the glacier, and 13,500 BCE south, however disputed evidence of southern human habitation exists from 130,000 BCE and 17,000 BCE onwards, described from sites in California and Meadowcroft in Pennsylvania. North American extinctions (noted as herbivores  (H) or carnivores (C)) included:
  Various Bovidae spp.
  Most forms of Pleistocene bison (only Bison bison in North America, and Bison bonasus in Eurasia, survived)
  Ancient bison (Bison antiquus) (H)
  Long-horned/Giant bison (Bison latifrons) (H)
  Steppe bison (Bison priscus) (H)
  Bison occidentalis (H)
  Several members of Caprinae (the muskox survived)
  Giant muskox (Praeovibos priscus) (H)
  Shrub-ox (Euceratherium collinum) (H)
  Harlan's muskox (Bootherium bombifrons) (H)
  Soergel's ox (Soergelia mayfieldi) (H)
  Harrington's mountain goat (Oreamnos harringtoni; smaller and more southern distribution than its surviving relative) (H)
  Saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica; extirpated) (H)
  Stag-moose (Cervalces scotti) (H)
  American mountain deer (Odocoileus lucasi) (H)
  Three of the last four Antilocapridae genera (pronghorns survived)
  Capromeryx (H)
  Stockoceros (H)
  Tetrameryx (H)
  Several peccary (Tayassuidae) spp.
  Flat-headed peccary (Platygonus) (H)
  Long-nosed peccary (Mylohyus) (H)
  Collared peccary (Pecari tajacu; extirpated, range semi-recolonised) (H) (Muknalia minimus is a junior synonym)
  Various members of Camelidae
  Western camel (Camelops hesternus) (H)
  Stilt legged llamas (Hemiauchenia ssp.) (H)
  Stout legged llamas (Palaeolama ssp.) (H)
  All native forms of Pleistocene Equidae
  Equus alaskae (H)
  Equus cedralensis (H)
  Mexican horse (Equus conversidens) (H)
  Equus complicatus (H)
  Equus fraternus (H)
  Equus giganteus (H)
  Yukon horse (Equus lambei) (H)
  Equus mexicanus (H)
  Niobrara horse (Equus niobrarensis) (H)
  Pacific horse (Equus pacificus) (H)
  Western horse (Equus occidentalis) (H)
  Equus semiplicatus (H)
  Hagerman horse (Equus simplicidens) (H)
  Scott's horse (Equus scotti) (H)
  Stilt-legged horse (Haringtonhippus francisci / Equus francisci; may be a synonym of Mexican horse) (H)
  All members of North American tapir (Tapirus; four species)
  California tapir (Tapirus californicus) (H)
  Cope's tapir (Tapirus copei) (H)
  Merriam's tapir (Tapirus merriami) (H)
  Vero tapir (Tapirus veroensis) (H)
  Mixotoxodon (H)
  Several Felidae spp.
  Saber-toothed cat (Smilodon fatalis) (C)
  Scimitar cat (Homotherium serum) (C)
  American cheetah (Miracinonyx; not true cheetah)
  Miracinonyx inexpectatus (C)
  Miracinonyx trumani (C)
  Cougar (Puma concolor; megafaunal ecomorph extirpated from North America, South American populations recolonised former range) (C)
  Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi; extirpated, range semi-recolonised) (C)
  Margay (Leopardus weidii; extirpated) (C)
  Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis; extirpated, range marginally recolonised) (C)
  Pleistocene North American jaguar
caption: Life restoration of Nothrotheriops shastensis
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