Ep. 693: Did Clovis Hunters Kill All the Mammoths?

Published: 2025-04-21 09:00:00

Steven Rinella talks with Spencer Pelton and Todd Surovell from the University of Wyoming, Randall Williams, Spencer Neuharth, and Brody Henderson.

Topics discussed: Testing a Clovis point on an elephant; the book Thunder Without Rain by the late Thomas McIntyre; breaking down all of the Slams; the prestigious caribou tag; Clay's Bear Grease podcast with Metin Eren; thrusting spears; the Clovis overkill hypothesis; hunting mammoths; the Mesa site; and more.

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Referenced Books

Thunder without Rain

by Thomas McIntyre

Steve Rinella discusses reading this book, which is described as a history of the Cape Buffalo. He mentions it contains extensive information about human history, plant poisons used in hunting, and includes discussion of toxins used by indigenous peoples. The book came out in 2023, after the author's death in 2022.

Referenced at 00:04:43

Black Poachers, White Hunters: A Social History of Hunting in Colonial Kenya

by Edward I. Steinhart

Steve mentions this as a book he wants to read next, in preparation for going to Africa. He describes it as dealing with the ethical battles over resource access, the demonization of indigenous hunting methods during the Safari era, and the double standards applied to white versus black hunters in Africa.

Referenced at 00:09:42

Twilight of the Mammoths

by Paul Martin

One of the speakers (Brody) discusses reading this book and being impressed by how Paul Martin tracks the spread of humans around the globe and lists extinctions that occurred at the same time. The speaker describes it as presenting a very compelling argument about human-caused extinctions, comparing it to watching a convincing YouTube video.

Referenced at 01:16:23