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Difficulty: MediumEvaluating Supporting Evidence

For decades, paleontologists have debated the primary driver behind the sudden extinction of North America's Pleistocene megafauna, such as mammoths and saber-toothed cats, around 13,000 years ago. The 'overkill hypothesis' posits that newly arrived human hunters, possessing advanced Clovis projectile points, hunted these large mammals to extinction within a few centuries. Proponents of this model point to the chronological coincidence between the arrival of humans and the disappearance of the megafauna.

However, critics argue that the archaeological record does not sufficiently support this scenario. Opponents emphasize that of the dozens of megafaunal species that went extinct, only a tiny fraction—namely mammoths and mastodons—have been found in direct association with Clovis hunting tools at archaeological sites. Furthermore, they note that several large species, such as bison, survived the period despite being hunted by humans. Critics suggest that rapid climate fluctuations at the end of the Pleistocene epoch, which dramatically altered habitats and food webs, were the actual primary driver of the extinctions, rather than human overhunting.

According to the passage, critics point to the low number of extinct megafaunal species found alongside Clovis tools in order to support which of the following claims?

  1. A
    Human arrival in North America occurred after the extinction of most megafaunal species had already concluded.
  2. Human hunting was not the primary driver of the overall megafaunal extinctions.Answer
  3. C
    Clovis projectile points were specifically engineered to hunt mammoths and mastodons rather than other large mammals.
  4. D
    Rapid climate fluctuations were the exclusive cause of the survival of large species like the bison.

Answer

Human hunting was not the primary driver of the overall megafaunal extinctions.
The correct answer is correct because the critics cite the low number of extinct species found in association with Clovis tools to challenge the overkill hypothesis. By highlighting this lack of archaeological evidence, the critics support their broader claim that human hunting was not the primary cause of the widespread extinctions.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Locate the critics' argument in the passage.
The critics argue that the archaeological record does not sufficiently support the overkill hypothesis.
This establishes the target claim being evaluated.
2
Identify the supporting evidence critics use for this claim.
Critics state that only a tiny fraction of the dozens of extinct megafaunal species have been found in direct association with Clovis hunting tools.
This links the evidence to their central argument.
3
Determine which option aligns with the function of this evidence.
The evidence showing very few extinct species are linked to human tools supports the claim that human hunting was not the primary driver of the overall extinctions.
This verifies the logical connection between the evidence and the claim.

Key Concept

Evaluating Supporting Evidence
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Evaluating Supporting Evidence

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