SPECIAL SECTION
During the Pleistocene epoch, only tens of thousands of years ago, our planet supported large, spectacular ani- mals. Mammoths, terror birds, giant tortoises, and saber- toothed cats, as well as many less familiar species such as giant ground sloths (some of which reached 7 meters in height) and glyptodonts (which resembled car-sized
armadillos), roamed freely. Since then, however, the number
and diversity of animal species on Earth have consistently and
steadily declined. Today we are left with a relatively depauperate fauna, and we continue to lose animal species to extinction
rapidly. Although some debate persists, most of the evidence suggests that humans were responsible for extinction of this Pleistocene fauna, and we continue to drive animal extinctions today
NEWS
The empty forest p. 396
OPINION
An animal-rich future p. 400
REVIEWS
Defaunation in the
Anthropocene p. 401
Reversing defaunation: Restoring
species in a changing world p. 406
SEE ALSO
▶ PERSPECTIVE p. 376
▶ BOOK REVIEW p. 388
INSIDE
By Sacha Vignieri
