Martin Overkill Analysis

Taken at face value, the plausibility of Martin’s ‘overkill’ theory persuades readers of the responsibility of prehistoric human civilizations in the mass extinctions of megafauna during the late Quaternary period. Nevertheless, inaccurate comparisons of continental and island species along side impractical and idealistic evaluations of human predation renders Martin’s theory into the realm of ambiguity.
In specific, Martin alludes to the extinction of flightless birds and land snails caused by the spread of humanity to islands of the remote Pacific in order to exhibit the plausibility of the ‘overkill’ theory. Through this example, Martin attempts to draw a parallel between the role of human predation in the extinction of species pertaining to the Pacific islands and the extinction of continental megafauna. Yet, there is a major defect inherent within Martin’s comparison.
Despite this fact, there are several key differences between species inhabiting remote islands of the Pacific and species inhabiting continental regions. Specifically, island vertebrae are far more susceptible to human predation on account of their minor populations. This stems from the fact that islands are limited in terms of geographic space, thereby limiting resources and opportunities for escape from predation. Therefore, populations are confined to minimal levels, making island species far more susceptible to the effects of human predation. In addition, through the limitation of population size, many species lack sufficient number of procreating individuals as a means of restoring declining populations (Stuart, 1991). Through this analysis it becomes evident that island species fell victim to the predation of prehistoric human