Ancient Footprints in New Mexico Rewrite History of Human Arrival in America

New research using radiocarbon dating and flow cytometry techniques has confirmed that humans settled in America approximately 23,000 years ago, 7,000 years earlier than previously thought. Fossil footprints found in New Mexico were dated to the last Ice Age, challenging the belief that humans arrived in North America as the ice sheets were melting. The study also addressed criticisms of the radiocarbon dating by analyzing pollen grains and using optically stimulated luminescence dating, both of which supported the earlier dates. The findings provide new insights into the prehistory of America and the migration patterns of early humans.