Quaternary Megafauna Extinction (50,000-10,000 years ago)

The Quaternary Megafauna Extinction claimed over 90 genera of large mammals worldwide, including woolly mammoths, sabre-toothed cats, and giant ground sloths, between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago. Over 80% of megafauna species disappeared from North America alone—a loss rate roughly 30% higher than the typical background for that continent. The primary driver remains debated: human hunting or climate change at the end of the last ice age. However, the timing strongly correlates with human arrival, and this event was far more selective for large body size than #8 (the Capitanian Extinction), which targeted marine communities.