Optional Activities
- Ice Age Megafauna Size Comparison: Look up the sizes of the woolly mammoth, giant ground sloth (Megatherium), cave bear, dire wolf, saber-toothed cat (Smilodon), and American mastodon. Draw each one to scale next to a modern human (average 170 cm). Which is the most surprising in size? Bigger or smaller than you expected?
- Extinction Debate: Were Ice Age megafauna wiped out by climate change, human hunting, or both? Split into two teams and research each hypothesis. The “overkill hypothesis” (Paul Martin) argues humans hunted them to extinction; the climate hypothesis argues warming and habitat loss were the cause. What does the timing of extinctions on different continents tell us?
- De-Extinction Ethics: Scientists are working to “resurrect” the woolly mammoth by editing the Asian elephant genome with mammoth DNA. Research the Colossal Biosciences project. Should we do this? Arguments for: ecosystem restoration, conservation technology, scientific knowledge. Arguments against: welfare of the animal, unpredictable ecosystem effects, resources better spent on existing endangered species. Write a one-page position paper.
- Saber-Tooth Mechanics: The canine teeth of Smilodon were up to 28 cm long, but fragile. Research how Smilodon actually killed prey (it’s more complex than simply stabbing). What does its skull and jaw structure tell us? Compare to modern big cat killing techniques. Why did saber-tooth designs evolve at least three separate times in different mammal lineages?