Introduction of H. sapiens

The Overkill Hypothesis (Martin, 1967) suggests that hunting by H. sapiens is sufficient to reduce herbivore populations significantly. In the graph H. sapiens Enters the New World, a second predator is introduced to the model at time -11500 (11500 BP). The hunting rate of H. sapiens is the same as that of the first predator. The population level (initialized at 0.2K (200 individuals)) and the recruitment rate is the same as used in Whittington and Dyke (1989).

A new predator reduces the population levels of the existing predator significantly and of herbivores slightly.

Vegetation Increases!!

Back to the Holmes and Watson conversation

To the earlier exploration - "The Pleistocene Holocene Transition - The Case of the Arboricidal Megaherbivores"