Twilight of the Mammoths:: Ice Age Extinctions and the Rewilding of America (Organisms and Environments)
by Paul S. Martin
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Book Summary Information
Author: Paul S. MartinEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-05-08
ISBN: 0520252438
Number of pages: 270
Publisher: University of California Press
Book Reviews of Twilight of the Mammoths:: Ice Age Extinctions and the Rewilding of America (Organisms and Environments)
Book Review: A dissenting voice
Summary: 4 Stars
I enjoyed the content of Twilight of Mammoths and see it as a fascinating topic. However I have some issues with it, including:
1. While the content was fascinating (I have admitted little background in the topic), the writing technique was far less inspiring. Enough said on that.
2. The author fails to adequately discuss the lack of kill sites for mammoths and sloths and only mentions it in passing (he actually acknowledges the distinct lack of kill sites, having only found bison and other such kill sites with verifiable Clovis points). Shouldn't this be of primary importance?
3. The author talks at length of problems with the overchill theory (climate change). This is good. However why doesn't he discuss the overill theory (disease)? This seems to me quite feasible. Neglect of the topic undermines his desire for thoroughness.
4. The author fails to address the question (even though he quotes a student who once asked it): If humans catalyzed so many extinctions, what about slow moving bison, bears, etc.? How could humans find and kill American lions, but not brutish ovids?
5. The author fails to address how humans could be so thorough in their killing, extinguishing species from the most distant jungles in Central America. Even with advanced technology, this endevour would be most challenging today.
6. I like the anecdotes, but his thoughts seem scattered.
Please don't mistake my criticism for disapproval. The book is definitely worth the read, and I enjoyed it - I'm just trained to critique (an exercise exacerbated by the level of frustration with a text).
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