Crackpot impact theory

Paul H bristolia at yahoo.com
Sun Sep 25 12:32:29 EDT 2005

Darren Garrison, Sat Sep 24 22:42:22 EDT 2005, wrote:

"Here's what another real scientist
http://www.thesolarsystem.org/davidmorrison.html
has to say about his new "theory":"

Scientists say cosmic debris killed mammoths
Keay Davidson, Chronicle Science Writer
Saturday, September 24, 2005
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/24/BAGG9ET78M1.DTL

The article stated:

"The particles appear to be of cosmic origin,
judging by their chemical contents, which include
titanium, iron, manganese, vanadium, rare earth
elements, thorium and uranium. Such chemical
composition is similar to lunar rocks brought
back to Earth by astronauts. It also resembles
meteorites of lunar origin that fell in the
Middle East 10,000 years ago."

Given that the Moon consists of material virtually
identical to that composing parts of the Earth and
very
likely largely came from the Earth, Firestone and West

by noting that their particles are similar in
composition
to lunar material are presenting evidence that
actually
refutes their claim that the particles of cosmic
origin.

Marco, Pleistocene archaeologist, wrote:

"The other point is, that mammoths did *not* get
extinct all at once at ~13 000 BP. On Wrangel Island
in the arctic for example, they survived untill 4000
BP.
In Eurasia, they disappear between ~15000 and 12000
bp, in what seems to be a gradual process."

This is an excellent point among others. In addition,
in
"Quaternary Paleobiology Update Debate continues over
the cause of Pleistocene megafauna extinction" in The
Quaternary Times Newsletter of the American Quaternary

Association, vol. 29, no. 1, May 1999 at
http://www4.nau.edu/amqua/v29n1/quaternary_paleobiology_update.htm
,
it is stated:

"It now appears that the major megafaunal exinction
event took place at 11,400 14C yr B.P. This event
included the extinction of camels, horses, giant
sloths,
Pleistocene bison, and all other genera of megafaunal
mammals that did not survive beyond 11,400 14C yr
B.P. , with the exception of the proboscideans.
Mammoths and mastodons persisted beyond 11,400 yr
B.P. Stafford et al. have dated the extinction of
North
American mammoth and mastodon to 10,900-10,850 yr
B.P. So it now appears that there were two distinct
extinction episodes."

Also, a person can look at "14C-Chronostratigraphy of
Late Pleistocene Megafauna Extinctions in Relation to
Human Presence in the New World by Thomas W.
Stafford, Jr., Russell Graham, Ernest Lundelius,
Holmes Semken, Greg McDonald, and John Southon
for the Clovis in the Southeast Technology Time
and Space October 26-29, 2005 conference at:
http://www.clovisinthesoutheast.net/stafford.html
and http://www.clovisinthesoutheast.net/speakers.htm .

In terms of megafauna in North America, there were two

extinction episodes separated by 500 years. The event
argued for by Firestone and West does not make any
sense in terms of how such an event would selectively
cause the extinction of camels, horses, giant sloths,
Pleistocene bison, and other genera of megafaunal
mammals about 11,400 BP and then 500 years later
wipe out North American mammoths and mastodons
some 500 years later.

They have a lot of questions to answer about their
theory.

People can also look at "Evidence of a Catastrophic
Impact Event at the End of the Clovis Era" at:
http://www.clovisinthesoutheast.net/firestone.html

Best Regards,

Paul