Ancient footprints push back North America's peopling to the Ice Age
Archaeologists at White Sands, New Mexico, have dated footprints to about 20,700–22,400 years ago (during the Last Glacial Maximum), strengthening the case that humans reached North America well before the Clovis-first model. Radiocarbon dating of seeds, pollen, and the mud found with the prints across three labs all converge on the same timeline, prompting a reevaluation of migration routes and lifeways, though the absence of durable artifacts remains a puzzle. The study was published in Science Advances.