Humans arrived in the Kaliko Islands about 7,000 years ago, and within 3,000 years most of the large mammal species that had lived in the forests of the Kaliko Islands were extinct. Previous archaeological findings have suggested that early humans generally relied on both fishing and hunting for food; since archaeologists have discovered numerous sites in the Kaliko Islands where the bones of fish were discarded, it is likely that the humans also hunted the mammals. Furthermore, researchers have uncovered simple tools, such as stone knives, that could be used for hunting. The only clear explanation is that humans caused the extinction of the various mammal species through excessive hunting.
Write a response in which you discuss one or more alternative explanations that could rival the proposed explanation and explain how your explanation(s) can plausibly account for the facts presented in the argument.
五問:
(1)“Humans arrived in the Kaliko Islands about 7,000 years ago, and within 3,000 years most of the large mammal species that had lived in the forests of the Kaliko Islands were extinct. Previous archaeological findings have suggested that early humans generally relied on both fishing and hunting for food; since archaeologists have discovered numerous sites in the Kaliko Islands where the bones of fish were discarded”和“Furthermore, researchers have uncovered simple tools, such as stone knives, that could be used for hunting”是事實,“The only clear explanation is that humans caused the extinction of the various mammal species through excessive hunting”是結論,值得反駁嗎?
(2)考古學家發(fā)現(xiàn)了大量被丟棄的魚骨頭,可能證明當時人類捕魚,但是能說明人類也獵取哺乳動物嗎?這二者之間有聯(lián)系嗎?在島上發(fā)現(xiàn)了哺乳動物的骨骼嗎?這個因果關系能達成嗎?
(3)研究者發(fā)現(xiàn)的簡單工具,如石刀,一定是用來打獵的嗎?是否有可能是用來切魚肉或者刻標記的呢?
(4)除了人類可能導致大型哺乳動物滅絕,還有其他因素會造成這一結果嗎?你能列舉一兩個嗎?例如:氣候變化或者是環(huán)境惡化都有可能會導致大型哺乳動物因不能適應而滅絕。
(5)文中是否將 hunting與hunting the mammals簡單地畫上了等號?打獵一定是獵殺哺乳動物嗎?即使真的獵殺了,一定會導致如此嚴重的后果嗎?