Table 1 Summary of the timing of terminal population busts and suggested causes for megafaunal extinctions by taxon and region

Taxon by region	Dates (n) 10–20 ka	Date density (dates/yr) 11–15 ka	Date of terminal bust (cal BP)	Rank-order correlation with human SPD 11.7–15 ka (in all cases, P < 0.01)	Extinction consistent with: Clovis hunting^a	Extinction consistent with: Climate change^b	Extinction consistent with: Multicausal^c
Contiguous US
Mammoth	74	0.013	13,014	−0.590	Yes	No	No
Mastodon	99	0.023	12,639	−0.045	No	Yes	No
S. ground sloth	40	0.010	12,659	0.353	No	Yes	No
Horse	25	0.005	12,944	−0.434	Yes	No	No
Saber-toothed cat	21	0.002	13,028	−0.663	Yes	No	No
Human	938	0.158	—	—	—	—	—
Southwest
S. ground sloth	29	0.007	12,680	0.663	No	Yes	No
Mammoth	27	0.005	12,044	−0.782	No	No	Yes
Human	153	0.025	—	—	—	—	—
Great Lakes
Mastodon	80	0.019	12,573	0.543	No	Yes	No
Mammoth	23	0.004	11,912	0.293	No	Yes	No
Human	104	0.018	—	—	—	—	—

^aConsistent with Clovis hunting (directly or indirectly) if declines to extinction begin during Clovis times and significant negative relationships occur between humans and megafauna
^bConsistent with YD climate change if declines to extinction begin in YD absent negative relationships between humans and megafauna
^cConsistent with multicausal hypotheses if significant negative relationships occur between humans and megafauna and declines to extinction begin during the YD

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