Prints shed light on human arrival in North America
WASHINGTON – Fossilized footprints discovered in New Mexico indicate that early humans were walking across North America around 23,000 years ago, researchers said Thursday.
The first footprints were found in White Sands National Park in 2009. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey recently analyzed seeds stuck in the footprints to determine their approximate age, ranging from around 22,800 and 21,130 years ago.
The findings may shed light on a mystery that has long intrigued scientists: When did people first arrive in the Americas, after dispersing from Africa and Asia?
Most scientists believe ancient migration came by way of a now-submerged land bridge that connected Asia to Alaska. Researchers have offered a range of possible dates for human arrival in the Americas, from 13,000 to 26,000 years ago or more.
“What we present here is evidence of a firm time and location,” they said.
Based on the size of the footprints, researchers believe that at least some were made by children and teenagers who lived during the last ice age.