Comment on "A global environmental crisis 42,000 years ago"

Science. 2021 Nov 19;374(6570):eabh1878. doi: 10.1126/science.abh1878. Epub 2021 Nov 18.

Abstract

Cooper et al. (Research Articles, 19 February 2021, p. 811) propose that a weakening geomagnetic field prior to the Laschamps Excursion explains megafaunal extinctions and human cultural changes that they claim happened 42,000 years ago. However, these authors misrepresent both the data and interpretations of cited work on extinctions and human cultural changes, so the specific claims they make about extinctions and cultural changes are false.

Publication types

  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Extinction, Biological*
  • Humans