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Methane and megafauna

Nature Geoscience volume 4, pages 271–272 (2011)Cite this article

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The drop in atmospheric methane concentrations at the onset of the Younger Dryas cold event ∼12,800 yr ago is commonly attributed to decreased methane emissions from wetlands1. Smith et al.2 reported calculations of methane emissions from wild herbivores and propose that end-Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions contributed to the methane decline. However, they support their arguments with several claims that are inconsistent with the ice core methane record.

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Figure 1: Proxy records of atmospheric composition and temperature during the Younger Dryas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, 97331, Oregon, USA

    Edward J. Brook

  2. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, 92093, California, USA

    Jeffrey P. Severinghaus

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  1. Edward J. Brook
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  2. Jeffrey P. Severinghaus
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Correspondence to Edward J. Brook.

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Brook, E., Severinghaus, J. Methane and megafauna. Nature Geosci 4, 271–272 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1140

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