Oldest Human Footprints In North America Found In New Mexico
Newsy
The footprints were found in a dry lake bed in White Sands National Park, first spotted in 2009 by a park manager.
Fossilized footprints discovered in New Mexico indicate that early humans were walking across North America around 23,000 years ago, researchers reported Thursday.
The footprints were found in a dry lake bed in White Sands National Park, first spotted in 2009 by a park manager. 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.
Most scientists believe ancient migration came by way of a now-submerged land bridge that connected Asia to Alaska. Based on various evidence — including stone tools, fossil bones and genetic analysis — other researchers have offered a range of possible dates for human arrival in the Americas, from 13,000 to 26,000 years ago or more.
