40,000 year old footprint.

[Adramaleck]

Scientists: Americans older than thought

Footprint discovery suggests humans were on continent 40,000 years ago

Tuesday, July 5, 2005; Posted: 5:39 a.m. EDT (09:39 GMT)

Scientists said the footprints in volcanic ash were preserved when water levels rose.

LONDON, England (AP) -- British scientists claimed on Tuesday to have unearthed 40,000-year-old human footprints in central Mexico, challenging previous studies that put the arrival of the first humans in the Americas at about 13,500 years ago.

Scientists Silvia Gonzalez, from Liverpool John Moores University, and Matthew Bennett, of Bournemouth University, found the footprints in an abandoned quarry close to the Cerro Toluquilla volcano in the Valsequillo Basin, near Puebla, south of Mexico City in 2003.

Gonzalez said the footprints were preserved as trace fossils in volcanic ash along what was the shoreline of an ancient volcanic lake.

"Climate variations and the eruption of the Cerro Toluquilla volcano caused lake levels to rise and fall, exposing the Xalnene volcanic ash layer," Gonzalez said.

She said the footprints, which were preserved when water levels rose, were now hard as concrete and had been uncovered without excavation as quarry workers had already removed two to three meters (6.5 to 9.8 feet) of lake sediment that had been deposited on top of the volcanic ash layer.

The footprints were analyzed and dated by a team of international scientists using laser technology.

The findings challenge previously held ideas about the settlement of the Americas.

Scientists have long believed that the first humans came to North America after the last Ice Age ended about 13,500 years ago. According to that theory, they crossed a land bridge from Asia into what is now Alaska and spread quickly across the continent.

The theory is supported by the stone tools they left behind -- all less than 13,500 years old. Their tool technology was named "Clovis" for the New Mexico town where it was first described.

"The existence of 40,000 year-old human footprints in Mexico means that the 'Clovis First' model of human occupation can no longer be accepted as the first evidence of human presence in the Americas," said David Huddart, a professor at Liverpool John Moores University, and a collaborator on the discovery.

Gonzalez said the findings supported a theory that the first colonies may have arrived by water, using the Pacific coast migration route, rather than by foot.

"We think there were several migration waves into the Americas at different times by different human groups," she said.

The findings are being exhibited as part of a summer exhibition at London's prestigious scientific academy, the Royal Society.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/07/05...s.ap/index.html

Edited July 11, 2005 by Adramaleck

[isis-999]

try using the search button, there was a post not to long ago on this subject, it may have some good reply's on this topic

Edited July 11, 2005 by isis-999

[krishneelz]

this could somehow prove darwins theory of evolution wrong since that looks like a footprint similar to ours

[krishneelz]

Homo Spaiens is 240,000 years old. thats a joke modern Homo sapiens occured 20000 years ago

[Dan'O]

try using the search button, there was a post not to long ago on this subject, it may have some good reply's on this topic

726666[/snapback]

Here is the original thread from the Main Front Page News...

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum...showtopic=44976

[marduk]

Homo Spaiens is 240,000 years old.  thats a joke modern Homo sapiens occured 20000 years ago

727008[/snapback]

who's theory is that

Homo sapiens evolved earlier than 240,000 years ago.

thats orthodox.

[DJ_Quinn]

Hey Marduk, some of us are STILL waiting to evolve.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...6lr%3D%26sa%3DN

[isis-999]

Homo Spaiens is 240,000 years old.  thats a joke modern Homo sapiens occured 20000 years ago

727008[/snapback]

who's theory is that

Homo sapiens evolved earlier than 240,000 years ago.

thats orthodox.

727144[/snapback]

If you knew some of the guys i knew you would not say that!

[Gatofeo]

Big deal ... I got socks under my bed that smell like they're 60,000 years old

[Lord_Kazius]

40k ago? ah those were the days, chiling on the ash beach, putting down a couple brews...good times, good times

[isis-999]

Men, oh well! see they have evolved;^^^just read there own words

[marduk]

Ug

[firefemme1202]

The Americas are nearly half our Earth's landmass. Evolutionary speaking, with humans having been here for about 4 million years, they think none of them were on the America's for the first 3.9 million years? I think everything is just more covered up than anyone realizes. I mean, with the west coast of the America's being on the Ring of Fire, so much could have changed drastically as to cover up whole civilizations that we just haven't found.

[isis-999]

Ug 

728947[/snapback]

Its ok Marduk; i was not talking about you!

Edited July 14, 2005 by isis-999

[FreyKade]

west coast of the America's being on the Ring of Fire

732773[/snapback]

hang in......ring of fire??? isnt that what you get free with a really hot curry??

[Seraphina]

I'd say it's not too unlikely....there probably were several possible crossings over to the Americas at that point, and it's not hard to believe that a few groups of early humans did make the crossing far ahead of the mass transit across the northern land bridge.