Large (≥10 kg) endotherms of Brazil at different stages. It’s important to establish both that no amount of rewilding will restore the functional diversity original to this region, and also that even introductions of seemingly very incomparable megafauna are likely resulting in ecosystems that now, functionally, more closely resemble their Pleistocene state than in the Holocene. We see this in the enormous diversity of species now associated with species like cattle and horses. Horses are also notable in that they technically represent a reintroduction (Equus “neogaeus” clusters with living Equus caballus genetically). I’d be strongly in favour of controlled experimentation with elephants (~Notiomastodon), guanacos (~Hemiauchenia mirim), and horses in particular to determine their interactions with vegetation, fire, seed dispersal, etc., but even this would ultimately be only a partial restoration of functional diversity.
The scale of what was lost during the extinction is hard to comprehend.
I understand that I made this for public consumption, but crediting me with the picture and quote would have been appropriate…
See the the source link under the pic. SOP I use for credit.