Michael R Waters1. 1. Center for the Study of the First Americans, Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
Abstract
North and South America were the last continents to be explored and settled by modern humans at the end of the Pleistocene. Genetic data, derived from contemporary populations and ancient individuals, show that the first Americans originated from Asia and after several population splits moved south of the continental ice sheets that covered Canada sometime between ~17.5 and ~14.6 thousand years (ka) ago. Archaeological evidence shows that geographically dispersed populations lived successfully, using biface, blade, and osseous technologies, in multiple places in North and South America between ~15.5 and ~14 ka ago. Regional archaeological complexes emerged by at least ~13 ka ago in North America and ~12.9 ka ago in South America. Current genetic and archaeological data do not support an earlier (pre-17.5 ka ago) occupation of the Americas.
North and South America were the last continents to be explored and settled by modern humans at the end of the Pleistocene. Genetic data, derived from contemporary populations and ancient individuals, show that the first Americans originated from Asia and after several population splits moved south of the continental ice sheets that covered Canada sometime between ~17.5 and ~14.6 thousand years (ka) ago. Archaeological evidence shows that geographically dispersed populations lived successfully, using biface, blade, and osseous technologies, in multiple places in North and South America between ~15.5 and ~14 ka ago. Regional archaeological complexes emerged by at least ~13 ka ago in North America and ~12.9 ka ago in South America. Current genetic and archaeological data do not support an earlier (pre-17.5 ka ago) occupation of the Americas.
Authors: Danielle Fraser; Amelia Villaseñor; Anikó B Tóth; Meghan A Balk; Jussi T Eronen; W Andrew Barr; A K Behrensmeyer; Matt Davis; Andrew Du; J Tyler Faith; Gary R Graves; Nicholas J Gotelli; Advait M Jukar; Cindy V Looy; Brian J McGill; Joshua H Miller; Silvia Pineda-Munoz; Richard Potts; Alex B Shupinski; Laura C Soul; S Kathleen Lyons Journal: Nat Commun Date: 2022-07-08 Impact factor: 17.694
Authors: Andrés Julián Gutiérrez-Escobar; Billie Velapatiño; Victor Borda; Charles S Rabkin; Eduardo Tarazona-Santos; Lilia Cabrera; Jaime Cok; Catherine C Hooper; Helena Jahuira-Arias; Phabiola Herrera; Mehwish Noureen; Difei Wang; Judith Romero-Gallo; Bao Tran; Richard M Peek; Douglas E Berg; Robert H Gilman; M Constanza Camargo Journal: Front Microbiol Date: 2020-12-14 Impact factor: 5.640
Authors: Flavio Augusto da Silva Coelho; Stephanie Gill; Crystal M Tomlin; Timothy H Heaton; Charlotte Lindqvist Journal: Proc Biol Sci Date: 2021-02-24 Impact factor: 5.349