A pile of mammoth skeletons provide evidence that humans lived in the area as early as 37,000 years ago.
Recently, the bones of a mammoth and cub found in New Mexico show signs of being slaughtered, an exciting discovery that could help accurately estimate when humans first appeared in the Americas.
According to carbon dating analysis of bone collagen, these specimens date back to 36,250 to 38,900 years ago. The Paleontology team found fractures caused by blunt objects on the bones. Evidence of thin blades made of mammoth bones and controlled fires was also found at the scene – signs of human involvement in the mammoth's death. The team's research was published last month in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.
Timothy Rowe, a paleontologist at the University of Texas at Austin, said: "It's not a glamorous place, it has a beautiful skeleton on one side. Everything broke down, but that's the way it is. ”
Above: A pile of mammoth bones recently found in New Mexico.
At first glance, paleontologist Timothy Rowe thought the bone pile looked like a slaughterhouse. But since there were no intricate stone tools nearby (which is a sign of humanity), he couldn't be sure.
However, after CT scans of several samples from the site, 32 bone pieces with obvious fractures were found. The team believes that these fractures cannot be explained by geological processes or the bite action of carnivores. About half of the bone pieces have sharp edges suitable for cutting.
CT scans also revealed prickly holes in several of the mammoth's ribs and vertebrae, which were invisible to the naked eye because bone-colored deposits filled them. The team believes these punctures may have been designed to accelerate the loss of oil from the bones.
Above: Three mammoth ribs at the scene, showing evidence of blunt trauma, stabbing and slashing (from top to bottom).
Paleontologist Timothy Rowe said: "This method of slaughter is very characteristic. I can only assume that killing and slaughtering mammoths requires considerable effort. ”
In addition to the mammoth bones, the site contains evidence of smaller burned animals: birds, rodents, lizards and fish, although the nearest river is 200 feet from the site. According to the researchers, the condition of the burning remains suggests that they were heated by controlled fire, not lightning or other naturally caused fires.
If all these clues are indeed remnants of human activity, it would be another powerful empirical proof of the old "Clovis First" theory, which holds that the first humans arrived in North America about 13,000 years ago. Last year, fossil human footprints found in New Mexico pushed back the time humans appeared in North America by 10,000 years. The newly discovered mammoth site is about 15,000 years before these footprints. Previous studies have shown that some Native Americans in the Amazon are genetically more similar to Australian Natives and other ethnic groups in Oceania than to modern Native Americans, suggesting that in ancient times, multiple ethnic groups entered North America from Asia.
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