The chopped - up carcass of a elephantine armadillo shows that humankind were in South America much earlier than antecedently recognise . Dating to around 21,000 year old , the slaughter stay also show some of the early archeological evidence of people in the southern stretchability of the continent .
The ossified os were divulge along the banks of the Reconquista River , northeast of the Pampean realm in advanced - day Argentina . They belonged to a species of glyptodont , an out whale relative of armadillo , calledNeosclerocalyptusthat could grow up to 2 meters ( 6.5 invertebrate foot ) in duration – and could on the face of it make for a generous meal .
Archaeologists at the National University of La Plata found classifiable cut marks around the pelvis , empennage , and consistency armor made by the slicing and chopping of stone tool .
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Drawing of aNeosclerocalyptusskeleton highlighting cut-marked skeletal elements in light blue found on the specimen.Image credit: Del Papa et al., 2024, PLOS ONE (CC-BY 4.0)
The Americas were once deep in megafauna ( aka very large animals ) that have since light into defunctness , includinggiant ground slothsand a humongous form of llama . Plenty of evidence suggests that prehistorical homo hunted these giant beasts , fire the idea that overhunting was creditworthy for their extinction ( typical humans , eh ? ) .
The dating of the newNeosclerocalyptusremains – between 21,090 and 20,811 class erstwhile – is especially significant . Recent decades have discover a Brobdingnagian amount of debate about when humans achieved the mammoth task of migrating from Eurasia into the Americas .
cautious estimates suggest the first human peopling in the Americas began at least 16,000 years ago . However , a retentive bobbin of late studies has pushed back this timeframe . One of the most incredible pieces of grounds comes in the form ofhuman footprint in New Mexicothat were imprinted sometime between 23,000 and 21,000 year ago . Some archaeologists contend this claim , but it was laterreaffirmed by another subject field .
The recent discovery of the slaughter armadillo affirms that the first human being arrived in the Americas well before 16,000 years ago . what is more , the grounds show that human citizenry had get in southerly South America long before this too .
The current consensus says that humans first set ft in the Americas after migrating from Siberia to present - day Alaskaacross Beringia , a terra firma span that existed during the last Ice long time when sea grade were importantly lower . Numerous wave of migration likely occurred and , over the millennia , some of these groups pop out to trek further in the south , eventually settling as far as southern South America G upon thousands of kilometers out from Beringia .
archeologist and anthropologists are still trying to piece together this heroic story , and the latest discovery of butchering along the Reconquista River will certainly add to the debate .
" The study ’s evidence put into doubt the fourth dimension frame of reference for the first human peopling of the Americas 16,000 years ago , ” Miguel Delgado , the corresponding author , said in astatement .
The Modern study is print in the journalPLOS ONE .
