Global scientometric and systematic review of literature on human–megafauna interactions in the late Quaternary

Abstract

Interactions between humans and megafauna have long been central to debates on late Quaternary extinctions, but how these interactions have been documented across the literature remains poorly synthesized. Here, we present the first global scientometric and systematic review of empirical records of human–megafauna interactions. Using the Web of Science (WoS) database, publications identified through backward and forward citation chasing, and an extensive search of grey literature in multiple languages, we identified 537 publications containing empirical evidence: 152 killed/butchered or scavenged sites (KBSS), six rock art records, and two trackways. Over the past 70 years, studies on KBSSs have increased steadily, whereas rock art and trackway publications have remained limited to the years of their discovery. Research output is heavily concentrated in economically developed countries, particularly the USA (174 publications), Russia (42), and Germany (40), with limited contributions from Africa, Asia, and parts of South America. These patterns reveal substantial publication, geographic, and economic asymmetries shaping how human–megafauna interactions are documented. The database compiled here provides the first global empirical baseline for these interactions and offers a robust tool for investigating their spatial, temporal, and behavioral patterns in the late Quaternary.