Ancient fossil research shows humans in North America may have existed much earlier than scientists think

Scientists have discovered new evidence showing that humans in the Americas may have existed thousands of years earlier than previously thought, according to a report published Thursday in the academic journal Science.

“This study demonstrates the scientific process – new evidence can change old models,” USGS acting director Alison Ship said in a statement. Announcement as on.

Ancient fossilized footprints found in White Sands National Park in New Mexico have shown humans lived in North America during the last ice maximum, which dates back approximately 21,000 to 23,000 years. Scientists argued when the first humans lived in the Americas, and some have found evidence of life around 15,000 years ago, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

Researchers from White Sands National Park, National Park Service, US Geological Survey, University of Arizona, University of Bournemouth and Cornell University analyzed multiple impact surfaces found buried between layers of gypsum soil on a dry lake in the park, which includes the largest field. gypsum dunes.

Archaeologists used radiocarbon dating – a method to determine the age of organic materials – to analyze microscopic seeds found in fossils, according to the study. The prints were described as “anatomically well defined” with visible heel prints and toe pads.

Scientists conducted a search for animals and aquatic substances in the areas where the fossils were found, which also made it possible to estimate the dates. Scientists said the findings also fueled the theory that early humans practiced sustainable methods to deal with the first megafauna.

“Unlike cultural artifacts, modified bones, or other traditional fossils, footprints have an initial deposition context and are affixed to the printed surface,” the report says.

The researchers note that the exact dating of the first people to arrive and live in the Western Hemisphere remains “unconfirmed and disputed.” “What we present here is evidence of a specific time and place where humans were present in North America,” the report says.

The Associated Press noted that previous excavations in White Sands National Park have revealed fossilized traces left by a sword-toothed cat, a terrible wolf, a Colombian mammoth and other Ice Age animals.