Lecture, "End of an (Ice) Age"

Redlands, CA  – What killed North America’s mammoths at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch? Do scientists know who or what the culprit was?  On Sunday, April 10, join Curator of Paleontology Eric Scott when he presents his own exciting new hypothesis explaining this prehistoric riddle in his lecture, “End of an (Ice) Age,” at the San Bernardino County Museum at 2pm. This presentation is open to the public and included in paid museum admission.

The Pleistocene Epoch, ranging in age from two and a half million years ago to around eleven thousand years ago, was a period of time whereNorth America teamed with life: mammoths, mastodons, ground sloths, giant bears and lions, and sabre-toothed cats, to name just a few. “These great beasts all went extinct at the end of the Pleistocene, around 11,000 years ago, as did North American horses, camels, tapirs, and in some areas, ancient bison,” said Scott. “The question remains: why?”

The answer remains a mystery. Multiple scenarios have been proposed: climate change, overkill by early people, rampant disease, and cometary impact all form part of the debate.  “Does the Ice Age fossil record of our southwest region hold any clues for resolving this debate?” asks Scott. “Is it possible that some key evidence has been overlooked?”

Scott will discuss the pros and cons of all of the available scenarios and—for the first time ever at the County Museum—unveil his own recently-published hypothesis explaining the extinction event. The new hypothesis, which seeks answers among the extinct animals themselves rather than from outside forces, has attracted increasing attention in paleontologic circles, and was highlighted in the March 2011 edition of Scientific American magazine. It’s a presentation you won’t want to miss—visitors will never look at Ice Age extinctions the same way again!

The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays and holiday Mondays from 9am to 5pm. Admission is $8 (adult), $6 (military or senior), $5 (student) and $4 (child aged 5 to 12). Children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org.

The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is 909-307-2669 ext. 229 or (TDD) 909-792-1462.