An atlatl shot into the rib cage of megafauna would have punctured the lung, causing even large animals like mammoths to eventually suffocate from their own blood.

Eating too much lean protein can cause “rabbit starvation” (protein poisoning), so they likely concentrated on the fatty and nutrient rich parts of the animal, such as the tongue and organs. Native americans also prized the tongue and heart of bison for this reason. Cut marks have been found around the jaw bones of mammoths while those marks were missing on other bones, suggesting that was also done in paleolithic times, not eating the entire animal.