The controversy space on Quaternary megafaunal extinctions

MONJEAU, JORGE ADRIAN; ARAUJO, BERNARDO; ABRAMSON, GUILLERMO; KUPERMAN, MARCELO N.; LAGUNA, MARIA FABIANA; LANATA, JOSÉ MARÍA

QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2017 vol. 431 p. 194 - 204

1040-6182

In this work, we analyze the origin and development of the debate on megafaunal extinctions using theControversy Space Model (CSM). The CSM is composed of a common ground of theoretical agreementsand a dialectical dynamic of disputes regarding the causes of extinction, called refocalization, identifyingphases of conceptual blockage and unblockage. The hypotheses are clustered in three major groups,according to causes of extinction: anthropic, biotic, and environmental. We argue that the evolution ofthe controversial space follows a succession of questions relevant to each period, the answers to whichneed to be settled to allow the debate to move forward. We postulate that nowadays this controversyspace is suffering a period of conceptual blockage. This may be because authors are assembled aroundtwo major paradigms: environmental versus anthropic causes. Each of these two theoretical positionslooks at a portion of reality that may be partially true, but incomplete in terms of a global theory ofextinction. We propose that this conceptual blockage could be solved by developing a mathematicalmodel in which each hypothesis plays a role in a mechanistic way. The relative importance of eachhypothesis may vary depending on its respective context. It follows from this that it should not matterwhich cause is favored: the emphasis should be given to all causes acting together in a predictablemanner.© 2015 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.