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

Scientists have confirmed that fossilized footprints found in New Mexico's White Sands National Park are between 21,000 and 23,000 years old, indicating that humans existed in North America much earlier than previously believed. The researchers used multiple lines of evidence, including radiocarbon dating of seeds and conifer pollen, as well as optically stimulated luminescence dating of quartz grains, to establish the age range. This discovery challenges the previous belief that humans arrived in North America around 13,500 to 16,000 years ago.