Scientists have discovered evidence in South Carolina that seems to point to an extraterrestrial event which caused the extinction of many large animals and a possible decline in human population nearly 13,000 years ago.
A controversial theory that an extraterrestrial body crashing to earth caused another widespread extinction event is gaining traction due to such research all over the world. The Younger Dyas Impact Theory, proposed in 2007, suggests that an asteroid or comet hit the planet about 12,800 years ago, resulting in a period of extreme cooling. This contributed to the extinctions of many large animals such as giant sloths, saber-tooth cats, mammoths and mastodons. The event also coincides with a decline in human populations, such as the Clovis culture.
The impact is believed to have started massive wildfires which blocked sunlight, resulting in an “impact winter.”
Research at White Pond, near Elgin, SC, studied core sediments dating back to the time of the event. The sediments showed a significant platinum anomaly, an element associated with asteroids or comets. The core samples also showed soot anomalies consistent with the wildfire theory.
The event may have contributed to the extinction, but it wasn’t the only cause. Over-hunting by humans was part of the problem, as was climate change.
