The timing of early human settlement in South America is a heavily debated topic, significant for understanding early human migration across the Americas and their potential role in the extinction of large mammals at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch. This debate is complicated by a lack of direct archaeological evidence of early human presence and their interactions with animals.
The researchers in this study present evidence of butchery on Pleistocene mammal fossils found on the banks of the Reconquista River, northeast of the Pampean region in Argentina. The fossils belong to Neosclerocalyptus, a giant relative of armadillos known as a glyptodont. Statistical analysis reveals that cut marks on the pelvis, tail, and body armor are consistent with those made by stone tools, and their locations suggest a butchering process targeting areas with dense flesh. Radiocarbon dating shows these fossils to be about 21,000 years old, making them nearly six thousand years older than other known archaeological evidence in southern South America.
These findings align with recent research indicating early human presence in the Americas over 20,000 years ago. These fossils also represent some of the earliest evidence of human interaction with large mammals just before many of these species became extinct. The authors suggest that further excavation at this site, additional analysis of the cut marks, and more extensive radiocarbon dating could provide stronger support for their conclusions.
Miguel Delgado, the corresponding author, commented: "The study's evidence puts into question the time frame for the first human peopling of the Americas 16,000 years ago."
Research Report:Anthropic cut marks in extinct megafauna bones from the Pampean region (Argentina) at the last glacial maximum
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