A recent statistical study estimated the abundance and natural ranges of megafauna species (mammals over 40 pounds), if man didn’t exist today. They analyzed 5,742 megafauna species that have existed over the past 130,000 years, a time span including a full glacial/interglacial cycle. Not surprisingly, they concluded the natural ranges and abundance of megafauna would be much greater today, if not for man.
Maps showing natural ranges and abundance of megafauna. The top shows today’s abundance. The bottom shows abundance today, if man didn’t exist. Map is from the below reference.
This study inspired me to draw speculative range maps for selected megafauna species that lived in Georgia 36,000 years ago–long before people ruined the wilderness. I chose this time period because it was an interstadial, a warmer wetter climate phase within the last Ice Age, and I think wildlife populations were higher then than during the Full Glacial Maximum when at least some of Georgia consisted of desert-like habitat. My maps are educated guesses because the Pleistocene fossil record of Georgia is extremely incomplete. Megafauna populations were not evenly distributed throughout the state. I assumed the northern part of the state held more forest and woodland, while the southern half hosted more grassland. But both environments existed in most of the state, often side-by-side. Therefore, forest and forest edge species such as tapirs and long-nosed peccaries were more abundant in the northern part of the state. Bison and horse were more numerous on the coastal plain. Some animals migrated in and out of the state. Isotopic evidence suggest mastodons moved back and forth between Florida and Georgia. Like leaders of today’s elephant herds, experienced matriarchs knew where rich sources of food and mineral licks were located. Some herds of mammoths probably moved great distances as well. Flat-headed peccaries likely favored the sand hill scrub habitat along the fall line.
Evidence of caribou in north Georgia dates to the Last Glacial Maximum, but I believe they were so abundant even during interstadials that some herds wandered as far south as Georgia. There is no fossil evidence of helmeted musk-ox, stag-moose, giant lion, or saber-tooth in Georgia. I’m certain giant lion and saber-tooth did range into Georgia, and it seems probable helmeted musk-ox and stag-moose did as well. Fossil evidence of giant lions has been found in Florida and Mississippi. Saber-tooth bones have been recovered from all the states surrounding Georgia. Fossil remains of stag-moose and helmeted musk-ox have been excavated from sites on the same latitude as Georgia.
The dots on my maps don’t represent any specific numerical value, but the bigger ones indicate larger populations. The maps include the 10,000 square miles of continental shelf that was above sea level between ~83,000 years BP-~7800 years BP.
Range maps of selected megafauna species in Georgia 36,000 years ago. Click to enlarge. I know the labels on the maps are hard to see so from left to right on the top row they are mastodon, mammoth, Jefferson’s ground sloth, stag-moose, stout-legged llama, large-headed llama. Middle row from left to right: long-horned bison, horse, long-nosed peccary, helmeted musk-ox, giant beaver, saber-tooth. Bottom row from left to right: tapir, caribou, flat-headed peccary, giant lion, jaguar, dire wolf.
Reference:
Faurby, S; and J.C. Svenning
“Historic and Pre-Historic Human-Driven Extinctions have Reshaped Global Mammal Diversity Patterns”
Diversity and Distribution 21 (10) Augusts 2015
GeorgiaBeforePeople 
Leave a Reply