NOVA: Last Extinction

A superbly produced, informed and informative NOVA television episode
Some 13,000 years ago a great many mammals suddenly died out in a brief period of time. "Last Extinction: What Killed The Mammoths?" is a superbly produced, informed and informative NOVA television episode that explores an iconoclastic theory behind the sudden demise of mammoths, giant ground sloths, saber-tooth cats, and American lions. The trigger for this catastrophic event is speculated to be a comet breaking up over North America and resulting in widespread forest fires that wiped out plants, animals, and even pre-historic humans. Archaeological evidence is identified and discussed in depth, along with the contributing theories of climate change and the end of the Ice Age as causes of the disappearance of so many species of large mammal. Informed and informative, and with this 56 minute DVD format including such special features as printable materials for educators, scene selection, and access to the NOVA web site, "Last Extinction" is a highly recommended addition to school and...

A superb production in every way!
I saw "Last Extinction" before and loved it. I then had to purchase it. This program EXPLAINS why our big animals diappeared 13,000 years ago - they go into the many theories in quite detail, then explain which one they think is the best. It is told by a number of scientists and is quite riveting. The more you see this DVD, the more information you get out of it - it's filled with information! This mass extinction episode is very interesting because I had no idea there WAS a mass estinction 13,000 years ago - this is new to me. I consider myself a very critical judge of science DVD's (and books for that matter) and I don't like general information - I can get that anywhere. And this DVD is REALLY good.

Didn't have any impact on me
"Last extinction" is a documentary promoting a rather fringey theory: that the mass extinction of the "megafauna" during the Quaternary was caused by a comet impact. A similar scenario has for decades been standard orthodoxy as the explanation for the extinction of the dinosaurs.

I admit that "Last extinction" didn't thrill me, but perhaps the reason is that I watched it at approximately 1:30 AM, local time. I was also very tired... I don't claim to know much about the Quaternary extinction, but I noticed that the most common theory in popular literature is that Palaeolithic hunters killed off the mammoths, mastodons and other charismatic mega-beasts. I used to believe that myself, but the obviously ideological implications of the claim have made me wonder. But does that mean it was an object from outer space?

Perhaps I'm unfair, but it seems a certain breed of PR-obsessed scientists always conjure up comet impacts to explain pretty much everything, from the...

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