Giant Sloths and Mastodons Coexisted with Humans in the Americas for Millennia
2024-12-25
New archaeological discoveries challenge the long-held theory that humans arriving in the Americas quickly wiped out megafauna. Findings from sites in Brazil, Uruguay, and New Mexico—including modified giant sloth bones dating back 27,000 years, human footprints, and other artifacts—suggest a much longer period of coexistence between humans and megafauna such as giant ground sloths and mastodons. These discoveries challenge the previously accepted Clovis culture as representing the earliest human settlement in the Americas. The research paints a more nuanced picture of early human-megafauna interactions, indicating a complex relationship beyond simple hunting and extinction.
(phys.org)