Archaeology & History

Footprint in Chile is oldest in the Americas

By T.K. Randall
April 29, 2019 ·  3 comments

Chile is home to a rich array of fossils. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 XTSY Unearthed at the Pilauco excavation in the city of Osorno, the footprint is now believed to be the earliest known evidence of mankind's presence in the Americas.

It was first spotted in 2011 by archaeologists from the Austral University of Chile and it has taken an extensive research effort spanning several years to confirm its significance."There are other human footprints in the Americas but none has been dated as far back," geologist Mario Pino told the Osorno newspaper El Austral.

The individual who left the footprint was male, weighed around 155 pounds and belonged to the species Hominipes modernus - a relative of modern humans.

Footprint found in #Chile is 'oldest' in Americas: scientists @PLOSONE https://t.co/fGdsJeUUfs

— Phys.org (@physorg_com) April 28, 2019

Source: Phys.org | Comments (3)

Tags: Chile, Footprint