Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Ancient Hyenas and The First Americans

Posted by michael on from the wise-hyenas-come-out-at-eve dept.

DrLudicrous writes "ABC is running a story about anthropologist Christy Turner's theory about hyenas, humans and dogs. The idea is that humans were unable to encroach on Alaska, and thus the Americas, thousands of years ago because of gigantic, bone-crushing hyenas, much larger than their African cousins. Eventually, the domestication of dogs somehow provided the first Americans with protection against these beasts, and within a couple of millenia, the ancient hyenas were extinct."

2 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. Good Heavens man by Syncdata · · Score: 3, Interesting

    extinct because of humans. We really are the cancer of this planet.
    Oh yes, what a shame it is that we no longer have packs of 40-50 giant unafraid hyenas scouring the continent. I for one, plan to cry myself to sleep tonight, for the poor, misunderstood giant hyena.
    What we did was supplant one pack hunter for another. And I for one, am rooting for the Humans.

    --
    "Inattention makes clowns of us all" -Bean
  2. Re:Pet Theory by macdaddy357 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Another problem with the theory is that he thinks there were hyenas becase he found crushed bones. The article did not mention any hyena remains being found. Hyenas don't live on the frozen tundra! Given the evidence, I could just as easily conclude that aliens crushed those bones. Before mutilating cattle, they mutilated humans. Maybe the "hyenas" were their pets, El Chupacabra.

    --
    How ya like dat?