NBC

Humans Killed Off the Biggest Land Mammals, Not Climate Change: Study

"Wild mammals are in decline globally because of a lethal combination of human-mediated threats," the researchers wrote in the journal Science

Humans have steadily driven the world's biggest land mammals into extinction for thousands of years, and we're not done — the cow could soon be the largest one left, according to a new study.

NBC News reported that the study, published Friday in the journal Science, concludes that human activity, not climate change, is what drove animals like the mammoth and saber-toothed tiger extinct.

Today, hunting leaves little hope for saving large, wild mammals from extinction, according to the researchers led by biologist Felisa Smith of the University of New Mexico.

"Wild mammals are in decline globally because of a lethal combination of human-mediated threats, including hunting, introduced predators and habitat modification," the researchers wrote.

Contact Us