Ancient Blood on Stone Tools Reveals Secrets of Ice Age Extinction

Ancient Stone Tools Reveal Gradual Ice Age Megafauna Collapse in the Carolinas A recent study of Paleoindian artifacts unearthed in South and North Carolina has shed new light on the extinction of Ice Age megafauna in the region. Researchers analyzed stone tools dating back more than 10,000 years and discovered traces of both mammoth and horse blood on several of them. This discovery challenges the long-held belief that the extinction of these animals was a sudden event. "All of the artifacts with mammoth blood, except one, were Clovis artifacts," explains Zeke Darwin, a science teacher and TikToker who shared the findings in a recent video. "The other one was a Haw River biface." The presence of horse blood on other artifacts further supports the theory of a more prolonged extinction process. The study's findings suggest a gradual collapse of the ecosystem, with the disappearance of mammoths and horses occurring over an extended period. The research was conducted by a team of scientists, and the results were published in a scientific journal. The details of the research, including the specific locations where the artifacts were found, are available in the published paper. The findings offer valuable insights into the complex interplay between human activity and environmental change during the Ice Age. The research highlights the importance of continued investigation into the extinction of Ice Age megafauna, and the role humans may have played in this process.