How Many Years Ago Did the Mastodon Die?

Question:

Scientists infer that early North American humans hunted the mastodon. Carbon-14 dating of the rib bone indicates that 2.4 half-lives have passed since the mastodon was killed. Approximately how many years ago did the mastodon die?

Answer:

The mastodon was estimated to have died around 13,752 years ago, as deduced using Carbon-14 dating.

Understanding the life and death of a mastodon involves knowing the process of Carbon-14 dating and using this method to estimate the time-frame of the mastodon's demise. Carbon-14 undergoes radioactive decay and has a half-life of approximately 5730 years. In this problem, it is stated that 2.4 half-lives have passed since the mastodon was killed. Therefore, by multiplying the half-life of Carbon-14 (5730 years) by the number of half-lives that have passed (2.4), we can estimate that the mastodon died around 13,752 years ago.

This timescale fits into the period when early North American humans were known to have hunted large game, such as the woolly mammoths. Both archaeological evidence and cave paintings suggest coordinated hunting efforts with the use of sophisticated tools. The simultaneous occurrence of human migration, climate changes, and habitat reduction has been detected in this time frame, adding to the plausibility of human hunting leading to the extinction of these large animals.