Blood residue on caveman weapons over 13,000 years old reveals how humans hunted mammoths, giant sloths and other megafauna during the Ice Age.

The article focuses on the investigation of the interactions between early Paleo-Americans and ice age megafauna, particularly regarding the potential role of humans in the extinction of these species. Researchers utilized blood residue analysis on Paleo-American stone tools to identify ancient animal blood proteins, revealing evidence of extinct mammoths, mastodons, and horses, indicating that these animals were hunted or scavenged by early humans in North Carolina and South Carolina. The findings suggest that while humans may not have been solely responsible for the extinctions, they likely played a role in the hunting of these megafauna, which were present shortly before their extinction. Further research with larger samples could provide more insights into the timing and reasons behind these extinctions. [Extracted from the article]