Fossilized footprints of prehistoric humans found in White Sands National Park

Fossilized Footprints found in White Sands National Park : A multidisciplinary team of scientists recently announced the discovery of the oldest human footprints in North America. These fossilized prints were made between 23,000 and 21,000 years ago along the shores of an ice age lake that once filled the Tularosa Basin in south-central New Mexico, in what is now White Sands National Park. This finding fundamentally changes the timeline on North American human habitation – turning back the clock of human arrival in the Americas nearly 10,000 years. The footprints were formed when ancient peoples walked over damp, sandy ground surrounding the former lake. Over time, sediment filled in the footprints as the ground hardened fossilizing the prints. Recently, erosion has resurfaced the prints, making many of them visible to the naked eye. By testing the sediment, researchers were able to carbon date the prints, with the oldest set being 22,800 years old.

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