Pleistocene Megafauna Research Articles

Anthropogenic modification of a giant ground sloth tooth from Brazil supported by a multi-disciplinary approach

Identifying evidence of human modification of extinct animal remains, such as Pleistocene megafauna, is challenging due to the similarity of anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic taphonomic features observed under optical microscopy. Here, we re-investigate a Late Pleistocene ground sloth tooth from northeast Brazil, previously suggested as human-modified based only on optical observation. To characterize the macro- and micro-morphological characteristics of the marks preserved in this tooth and evaluate potential human modification, we used stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) supplemented by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), UV photoluminescence (UV/PL), synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF), and synchrotron micro-computed tomography (SR-µCT). These methods allowed us to discriminate non-anthropogenic taphonomic features (root and sedimentary damage), anthropogenic marks, and histological features. The latter shows the infiltration of exogenous elements into the dentine from the sediments. Our evidence demonstrates the sequence of anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic taphonomic modification of this tooth and supports its initial intentional modification by humans. We highlight the benefits of emerging imaging and spectral imaging techniques to investigate and diagnose human modification in fossil and archaeological records and propose that human modification of tooth tissues should be further considered when studying possibly anthropogenically altered fossil remains.

Clovis points and foreshafts under braced weapon compression: Modeling Pleistocene megafauna encounters with a lithic pike.

Historical and ethnographic sources depict use of portable braced shaft weapons, or pikes, in megafauna hunting and defense during Late Holocene millennia in North and South America, Africa, Eurasia and Southeast Asia. Given the predominance of megafauna in Late Pleistocene North America during the centuries when Clovis points appeared and spread across much of the continent (13,050-12,650 cal BP), braced weapons may have been used in hunting of megaherbivores and defense against megacarnivores. Drawing from historical examples of pike use against lions, jaguars, boars, grizzlies, carabao and warhorses we consider the possibility of a fluted lithic pike. Associated osseous rods have been problematic as Clovis foreshafts due to the bevel angle and the apparent weakness of the splint haft when great strength is needed for deep penetration in megafauna hunting. However our review of Late Holocene pike use in megafauna encounters indicates the sharp tip becomes less important after hide or armor has been pierced because compression is sustained. Thus, foreshaft collapse after hide entry may not limit but rather increase the efficacy of the braced weapon. We conduct preliminary static experiments to model a fluted pike that adjusts during compression such that haft collapse and point detachment (when point jams on impact with bone) preserve the fluted biface, beveled rod and wooden mainshaft tip. In addition to Clovis point attributes and association with osseous rods, potential archaeological correlates of Clovis pike use include the high frequency of Clovis point isolates and concentrations of complete points with unbutchered mammoth remains at sites such as Naco in Arizona.

Persistent Gene Flow Suggests an Absence of Reproductive Isolation in an African Antelope Speciation Model.

African antelope diversity is a globally unique vestige of a much richer world-wide Pleistocene megafauna. Despite this, the evolutionary processes leading to the prolific radiation of African antelopes are not well understood. Here, we sequenced 145 whole genomes from both subspecies of the waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus), an African antelope believed to be in the process of speciation. We investigated genetic structure and population divergence and found evidence of a mid-Pleistocene separation on either side of the eastern Great Rift Valley, consistent with vicariance caused by a rain shadow along the so-called 'Kingdon's Line'. However, we also found pervasive evidence of both recent and widespread historical gene flow across the Rift Valley barrier. By inferring the genome-wide landscape of variation among subspecies, we found 14 genomic regions of elevated differentiation, including a locus that may be related to each subspecies' distinctive coat pigmentation pattern. We investigated these regions as candidate speciation islands. However, we observed no significant reduction in gene flow in these regions, nor any indications of selection against hybrids. Altogether, these results suggest a pattern whereby climatically driven vicariance is the most important process driving the African antelope radiation, and suggest that reproductive isolation may not set in until very late in the divergence process. This has a significant impact on taxonomic inference, as many taxa will be in a gray area of ambiguous systematic status, possibly explaining why it has been hard to achieve consensus regarding the species status of many African antelopes. Our analyses demonstrate how population genetics based on low-depth whole genome sequencing can provide new insights that can help resolve how far lineages have gone along the path to speciation.

Tracking the past: Isotopic paleoecology (δ13C, δ18O) of the Late Pleistocene megafauna from northeast of South America

Fossils from natural tanks can contribute to the paleoenvironmental interpretation of the Brazilian Intertropical Region (BIR), an important study area for the Quaternary in South America. In this paper we present results of δ13C and δ18O for Eremotherium laurillardi (δ13C = −4.6 ‰, δ18O = 33.0 ‰), Toxodon platensis (δ13C = −3.8 ‰, δ18O = 35.5 ‰), and Notiomastodon platensis (δ13C = −2.9 ‰, δ18O = 31.6 ‰) from Zabelê tank, compared to other localities, suggesting that these taxa had a mixed-feeder diet with a higher consumption of C4 plants (pi > 60%), living in a transition zone between woodland savannah and open savannah. The Zabelê tank, northeastern Brazil, presents Optically Stimulated Luminescence ages ranging from 41.2 to 30.4 ky (Lujanian Stage/Age; Late Pleistocene). The origin of the fossiliferous layer through debris flow suggests short periods of intense rainfall under drier climatic conditions. Compared to other locations in the BIR, Zabelê documented a drier climate (δ18O = 31.6–33.4 ‰), which preceded the last glacial maximum. These new isotopic data to OSL ages associated with previous data from the BIR contribute to the understanding of the paleoecology and paleoenvironment dynamics of South America.

Mitochondrial genomes of Pleistocene megafauna retrieved from recent sediment layers of two Siberian lakes.

Ancient environmental DNA (aeDNA) from lake sediments has yielded remarkable insights for the reconstruction of past ecosystems, including suggestions of late survival of extinct species. However, translocation and lateral inflow of DNA in sediments can potentially distort the stratigraphic signal of the DNA. Using three different approaches on two short lake sediment cores of the Yamal peninsula, West Siberia, with ages spanning only the past hundreds of years, we detect DNA and identified mitochondrial genomes of multiple mammoth and woolly rhinoceros individuals-both species that have been extinct for thousands of years on the mainland. The occurrence of clearly identifiable aeDNA of extinct Pleistocene megafauna (e.g. >400 K reads in one core) throughout these two short subsurface cores, along with specificities of sedimentology and dating, confirm that processes acting on regional scales, such as extensive permafrost thawing, can influence the aeDNA record and should be accounted for in aeDNA paleoecology.

Mitochondrial genomes of Pleistocene megafauna retrieved from recent sediment layers of two Siberian lakes

Ancient environmental DNA (aeDNA) from lake sediments has yielded remarkable insights for the reconstruction of past ecosystems, including suggestions of late survival of extinct species. However, translocation and lateral inflow of DNA in sediments can potentially distort the stratigraphic signal of the DNA. Using three different approaches on two short lake sediment cores of the Yamal peninsula, West Siberia, with ages spanning only the past hundreds of years, we detect DNA and identified mitochondrial genomes of multiple mammoth and woolly rhinoceros individuals—both species that have been extinct for thousands of years on the mainland. The occurrence of clearly identifiable aeDNA of extinct Pleistocene megafauna (e.g. >400 K reads in one core) throughout these two short subsurface cores, along with specificities of sedimentology and dating, confirm that processes acting on regional scales, such as extensive permafrost thawing, can influence the aeDNA record and should be accounted for in aeDNA paleoecology.

The Late Pleistocene Megafauna: Huge Animals that Used to Roam the Earth

Not so long ago, huge mammals weighing more than 1,000 kg existed practically all over the world. We call these giants the Pleistocene megafauna because they lived in a time period called the Pleistocene and were almost completely extinct around 11,700 years ago. These mammals lived on Earth for millions of years and were very important to almost all land-based ecosystems. However, natural climate change and humans decreased their ability to survive. Today, we find fossils of Pleistocene megafauna all over the world, including bones, hair, droppings, and even footprints. Scientists dig for these fossils to learn more about these animals and why they went extinct. Studying these ancient animals also gives scientists important information that helps them understand the risks that today’s living animals face in our world.

Clovis Points and Foreshafts Under Braced Weapon Compression: Modeling Pleistocene Megafauna Encounters with a Lithic Pike

Clovis Points and Foreshafts Under Braced Weapon Compression: Modeling Pleistocene Megafauna Encounters with a Lithic Pike

The first European woolly rhinoceros mitogenomes, retrieved from cave hyena coprolites, suggest long-term phylogeographic differentiation.

The woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) is an iconic species of the Eurasian Pleistocene megafauna, which was abundant in Eurasia in the Pleistocene until its demise beginning approximately 10 000 years ago. Despite the early recovery of several specimens from well-known European archaeological sites, including its type specimen (Blumenbach 1799), no genomes of European populations were available so far, and all available genomic data originated exclusively from Siberian populations. Using coprolites of cave hyenas (Crocuta crocuta spelea) recovered from Middle Palaeolithic layers of two caves in Germany (Bockstein-Loch and Hohlenstein-Stadel), we isolated and enriched predator and prey DNA to assemble the first European woolly rhinoceros mitogenomes, in addition to cave hyena mitogenomes. Both coprolite samples produced copious sequences assigned to C. crocuta (27% and 59% mitogenome coverage, respectively) and woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis; 27% and 81% coverage, respectively). The sequences suggested considerable DNA degradation, which may limit the conclusions to be drawn; however, the mitogenomes of European woolly rhinoceros are genetically distinct from the Siberian woolly rhinoceros, and analyses of the more complete mitogenome suggest a split of the populations potentially coinciding with the earliest fossil records of woolly rhinoceros in Europe.

Pleistocene South American native ungulates (Notoungulata and Litopterna) of the historical Roth collections in Switzerland, from the Pampean Region of Argentina

The fossil collections made by early explorers in South America have been fundamental to reveal the past diversity of extinct mammals and unravel their evolutionary history. One important early explorer in South America was the Swiss-Argentine palaeontologist Kaspar Jacob Roth, known as Santiago Roth (1850, Herisau, Switzerland-1924, Buenos Aires, Argentina), who made significant collections of fossil mammals that are housed in museums in Europe and Argentina. The important collections of Roth in Switzerland include iconic Pleistocene megafauna from the Pampean Region (Argentina). The palaeontological significance of the Pampean Region relies on its abundant record of fossil vertebrates that documents diversity dynamics and paleoenvironmental change in southern South America, serving as the basis for the South American biostratigraphical scale of the late Neogene and Quaternary. The South American native ungulates (SANUs) were hoofed placental mammals that radiated in South America. The clades Notoungulata and Litopterna include, among others, the last representatives of SANUs megafauna in the continent. We revise and describe for the first time the SANUs specimens from the Pampean Region of the Roth collections in Switzerland. The collections include two species of notoungulates (Toxodon cf. T. platensis and Mesotherium cristatum) and one litoptern species (Macrauchenia patachonica). The occurrences are restricted to the early and middle Pleistocene (pre-Lujanian Stages/Ages). Although the SANUs diversity in the Roth collections is low in comparison with other groups (e.g., xenarthrans), some of the specimens are very complete, including skulls and postcranial remains. The completeness of the Ma. patachonica material allows an update and reinterpretation of some of the details of the dentition and the postcranial skeleton of this iconic species. In addition to its historical importance, the SANU specimens from the Roth collections provide important information to study the paleobiology and evolution of South American megafauna and evaluate hypotheses about their extinction in the continent.

A window into a late Pleistocene megafauna community: Stable isotopes show niche partitioning among herbivorous taxa at the Arroyo del Vizcaíno site (Uruguay)

The analysis of stable isotopes on fossil mammals has become a widely used tool for understanding the paleoecology and paleodiet of these organisms. In this work, we study the stable isotope composition of collagen (δ13C and δ15N) and bioapatite (δ13C and δ18O) of fossil bones from Arroyo del Vizcaíno, a fossiliferous site in southern Uruguay dated to ∼32 ka cal BP. Fourteen taxa were analyzed: the ground sloths Lestodon armatus, Glossotherium robustum, Mylodon darwinii, Valgipes bucklandi and Nothrotheriops sp.; the glyptodonts Glyptodon reticulatus, Panochthus tuberculatus, and Doedicurus clavicaudatus; the equids Hippidion principale and Equus neogeus; the proboscidean Notiomastodon platensis; the notoungulate Toxodon platensis; the saber-tooth felid Smilodon populator; and an indeterminate cervid. In general, the percentage of nitrogen in collagen and the C:N ratio were within the limits expected for collagen preservation in fossil bone. The δ13C and δ15N results of the herbivores indicated that most taxa consumed high proportions of C3 plants in open, relatively dry environments, but significant variations were observed. Furthermore, relatively high values of δ18O in bone bioapatite, which approximately tracks local drinking water, indicated low precipitation and/or high evaporation. Our results show that the herbivorous taxa present at the site covered a considerable range of the grazer-browser spectrum and support the existence of niche partitioning among closely related taxa. Overall, these kinds of approaches are indispensable to better understand how these communities thrived during the Pleistocene in the region, supporting an outstanding number of giant species, before their extinction at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition.

Evidence of artefacts made of giant sloth bones in central Brazil around the last glacial maximum.

The peopling of the Americas and human interaction with the Pleistocene megafauna in South America remain hotly debated. The Santa Elina rock shelter in Central Brazil shows evidence of successive human settlements from around the last glacial maximum (LGM) to the Early Holocene. Two Pleistocene archaeological layers include rich lithic industry associated with remains of the extinct giant ground sloth Glossotherium phoenesis. The remains include thousands of osteoderms (i.e. dermal bones), three of which were human-modified. In this study, we perform a traceological analysis of these artefacts by optical microscopy, non-destructive scanning electron microscopy, UV/visible photoluminescence and synchrotron-based microtomography. We also describe the spatial association between the giant sloth bone remains and stone tools and provide a Bayesian age model that confirms the timing of this association in two time horizons of the Pleistocene in Santa Elina. The conclusion from our traceological study is that the three giant sloth osteoderms were intentionally modified into artefacts before fossilization of the bones. This provides additional evidence for the contemporaneity of humans and megafauna, and for the human manufacturing of personal artefacts on bone remains of ground sloths, around the LGM in Central Brazil.

A genetic glimpse of the Chinese straight-tusked elephants.

Straight-tusked elephants (genus: Palaeoloxodon) including their island dwarf forms are extinct enigmatic members of the Pleistocene megafauna and the most common Pleistocene elephants after the mammoths. Their taxonomic placement has been revised several times. Using palaeogenomic evidence, previous studies suggested that the European P. antiquus has a hybrid origin, but no molecular data have been retrieved from their Asian counterparts, leaving a gap in our knowledge of the global phylogeography and population dynamics of Palaeoloxodon. Here, we captured a high-quality complete mitogenome from a Pleistocene Elephantidae molar (CADG841) from Northern China, which was previously morphologically assigned to the genus Elephas (Asian elephant), and partial mitochondrial sequences (838 bp) of another Palaeoloxodon sp. specimen (CADG1074) from Northeastern China. We found that both Chinese specimens cluster with a 244 000-year-old P. antiquus (specimen name: WE) from Western Europe, suggesting that this clade may represent a population with a large spatial span across Eurasia. Based on the fossil record and the molecular dating of both the divergences of different Palaeoloxodon mitochondrial clades and previously determined hybridization events, we propose that this Eurasian-wide WE clade provides evidence for an earlier migration and/or another hybridization event that happened in the evolutionary history of straight-tusked elephants.

The timing and ecological consequences of Pleistocene megafaunal decline in the eastern Andes of Colombia

AbstractExamining the ecological consequences of the late Quaternary megafaunal extinctions within biodiversity hotspots is crucial for our understanding of the potential consequences of contemporary extinctions. We present the first multi-species record of spores of coprophilous fungi (SCF) from Monquentiva and the high-Andean forests of Colombia to reconstruct Late Pleistocene and Holocene megafaunal abundance. Fossilised pollen and charcoal are used to examine the consequences of megafaunal declines on the surrounding vegetation and fire activity. Our SCF record indicates the presence of Pleistocene megafauna at least since 30,290 BP, with two waves of megafaunal decline at ca. 22,900 BP and 10,990 BP. At Monquentiva, megafaunal decline in the Early Holocene resulted in transitional non-analogue vegetation, loss of some herbivore-dispersed plant taxa, an encroachment of palatable and woody flora, and a rise in fire activity. Differences with other published South-American records suggest that ecological consequences of megafaunal declines were habitat-specific. Overall, we show that ecosystems in the eastern Colombian Cordillera were highly sensitive to the decline of megafaunal populations. Under the current biodiversity crisis, management and conservation efforts must account for the effects of local herbivore declines on plant dispersal, on fire activity, and the potential loss of ecosystem services.

Xenarthrans of the collection of Santiago Roth from the Pampean Region of Argentina (Pleistocene), in Zurich, Switzerland

The present work concerns xenarthrans from the collection of Santiago (Kaspar Jakob) Roth (1850–1924) housed at the Palaeontological Institute and Museum of the University of Zurich, one of the most important collections of Pleistocene mammals from Argentina in Europe. Roth was a paleontologist originally from Switzerland who prospected and collected a large amount of Pleistocene megafauna of the Pampean Region of Argentina. The xenarthrans are the main representatives of this collection in Zurich, with 150 specimens. Since 1920, this material has not been revised and is under studied. The present investigation corresponds to a taxonomic revision resulting in 114 reassignments, leading to document xenarthran diversity and discuss their paleoecologies. The high diversity reflects the paleoecology of the Pampean Region during the Pleistocene, with the various abiotic events that impacted the paleoenvironment of this region. Within the Cingulata, the Pampean Region fauna was probably dominated by glyptodonts with a high representation of Glyptodontinae and Neosclerocalyptinae while within the sloths the highest diversity and abundance is found in the Mylodontinae and Scelidotheriinae. These four clades represent both species with high ecological tolerance (e.g., Glyptodon munizi; Catonyx tarijensis) and ecologically highly specialized species (e.g., Neosclerocalyptus paskoensis; Scelidotherium leptocephalum). The presence of such ecological diversity underlines the status of the Pampean Region as a major interest for paleoecological and paleoenvironmental reconstruction.

Paleoenvironmental changes in the Brazilian Pampa based on carbon and oxygen stable isotope analysis of Pleistocene camelid tooth enamel

ABSTRACTHere we present paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstructions of the Brazilian Pampa based on stable isotopes (δ13C, δ18O) in tooth enamel of the Pleistocene camelidsLama guanicoeandHemiauchenia paradoxafrom the Chuy Creek fossil assemblage, including oneH. paradoxafrom a stratigraphic level within a loess unit deposited during the Last Glacial Maximum (26.5–19 ka b2k). The δ13C results show that both species fed mostly on C3 plants, although the mixed diets ofL. guanicoeincluded ~30% C4 or CAM plants.H.paradoxahad C3 diets with <10% C4 or CAM plants. Both species exhibit higher δ18O and aridity indexes compared to other mammals from the assemblage, consistent with ingestion of18O‐enriched water from plants growing in arid/semi‐arid conditions. A comparison with δ13C of camelids from Argentina indicates the camelids from Chuy Creek fed on vegetation similar to that of Dry Pampa, Monte and Patagonic xerophytic steppes. Aridification and expansion of dry steppes in southern Brazil suggest a climate‐driven northeastwards shift of the Arid Diagonal of South America that may have contributed to local extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna. These Lateglacial environmental changes are reflected in the characteristics of the plant and mammalian assemblages of the modern Brazilian Pampa.

Revisiting the late Quaternary fossiliferous infills of Cathedral Cave, Wellington Caves (central eastern New South Wales, Australia)

ABSTRACTThe Wellington Caves were the first Australian locality from which Europeans collected and analysed vertebrate fossils. Within this system, Cathedral Cave contains Australia's stratigraphically deepest sequence of fossil‐bearing infill sediments, the age and depositional history of which has been poorly understood. Here we present results from a new excavation of the upper 4.2 m of the deposit, reanalysing the stratigraphy, petrography, sedimentology and geochemistry, and employing optically stimulated luminescence dating, radiocarbon dating and Bayesian age modelling to establish a robust chronology. We recognise 13 sedimentary layers and sublayers in two stratigraphic units. Unit 2 accumulated between 72 000 ± 5000 and 38 000 ± 7000 years ago as sediments and animals entered through a now‐blocked ceiling hole. Accumulation halted for around 30 000 years when the hole closed. Unit 1 accumulated when deposition was reinitiated around 7000 ± 2000 years ago, continuing through to a few hundred years ago. Our chronology refutes earlier dating of the deposit, which suggested that extinct Pleistocene megafauna taxa persisted locally until the Last Glacial Maximum. It confirms the deposit as one of the few in Australia that formed during the interval of major environmental upheaval marked by the arrival of humans, variable climate and the extinction of many megafaunal species.

After the mammoths: The ecological legacy of late Pleistocene megafauna extinctions

Abstract The significant extinctions in Earth history have largely been unpredictable in terms of what species perish and what traits make species susceptible. The extinctions occurring during the late Pleistocene are unusual in this regard, because they were strongly size-selective and targeted exclusively large-bodied animals (i.e., megafauna, >1 ton) and disproportionately, large-bodied herbivores. Because these animals are also at particular risk today, the aftermath of the late Pleistocene extinctions can provide insights into how the loss or decline of contemporary large-bodied animals may influence ecosystems. Here, we review the ecological consequences of the late Pleistocene extinctions on major aspects of the environment, on communities and ecosystems, as well as on the diet, distribution and behavior of surviving mammals. We find the consequences of the loss of megafauna were pervasive and left legacies detectable in all parts of the Earth system. Furthermore, we find that the ecological roles that extinct and modern megafauna play in the Earth system are not replicated by smaller-bodied animals. Our review highlights the important perspectives that paleoecology can provide for modern conservation efforts.

A New Approach to the Quantitative Analysis of Bone Surface Modifications: the Bowser Road Mastodon and Implications for the Data to Understand Human-Megafauna Interactions in North America

Toward the end of the Pleistocene, the world experienced a mass extinction of megafauna. In North America these included its proboscideans—the mammoths and mastodons. Researchers in conservation biology, paleontology, and archaeology have debated the role played by human predation in these extinctions. They point to traces of human butchery, such as cut marks and other bone surface modifications (BSM), as evidence of human-animal interactions—including predation and scavenging, between early Americans and proboscideans. However, others have challenged the validity of the butchery evidence observed on several proboscidean assemblages, largely due to questions of qualitative determination of the agent responsible for creating BSM. This study employs a statistical technique that relies on three-dimensional (3D) imaging data and 3D geometric morphometrics to determine the origin of the BSM observed on the skeletal remains of the Bowser Road mastodon (BR mastodon), excavated in Middletown, New York. These techniques have been shown to have high accuracy in identifying and distinguishing among different types of BSM. To better characterize the BSM on the BR mastodon, we compared them quantitatively to experimental BSM resulting from a stone tool chopping experiment using “Arnold,” the force-calibrated chopper. This study suggests that BSM on the BR mastodon are not consistent with the BSM generated by the experimental chopper. Future controlled experiments will compare other types of BSM to those on BR. This research contributes to continued efforts to decrease the uncertainty surrounding human-megafauna associations at the level of the archaeological site and faunal assemblage—specifically that of the BR mastodon assemblage. Consequently, we also contribute to the dialogue surrounding the character of the human-animal interactions between early Americans and Late Pleistocene megafauna, and the role of human foraging behavior in the latter’s extinction.

Late Pleistocene megafauna extinction leads to missing pieces of ecological space in a North American mammal community.

The conservation status of large-bodied mammals is dire. Their decline has serious consequences because they have unique ecological roles not replicated by smaller-bodied animals. Here, we use the fossil record of the megafauna extinction at the terminal Pleistocene to explore the consequences of past biodiversity loss. We characterize the isotopic and body-size niche of a mammal community in Texas before and after the event to assess the influence on the ecology and ecological interactions of surviving species (>1 kg). Preextinction, a variety of C4 grazers, C3 browsers, and mixed feeders existed, similar to modern African savannas, with likely specialization among the two sabertooth species for juvenile grazers. Postextinction, body size and isotopic niche space were lost, and the δ13C and δ15N values of some survivors shifted. We see mesocarnivore release within the Felidae: the jaguar, now an apex carnivore, moved into the specialized isotopic niche previously occupied by extinct cats. Puma, previously absent, became common and lynx shifted toward consuming more C4-based resources. Lagomorphs were the only herbivores to shift toward C4 resources. Body size changes from the Pleistocene to Holocene were species-specific, with some animals (deer, hare) becoming significantly larger and others smaller (bison, rabbits) or exhibiting no change to climate shifts or biodiversity loss. Overall, the Holocene body-size-isotopic niche was drastically reduced and considerable ecological complexity lost. We conclude biodiversity loss led to reorganization of survivors and many "missing pieces" within our community; without intervention, the loss of Earth's remaining ecosystems that support megafauna will likely suffer the same fate.