Comment on North American Pacific Coastal Migration Theory and the Last Glacial Maximum Age of Human Tracks at White Sands, New Mexico
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23029669 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Martina L Steffen (0000-0002-4611-0198, University of Oxford, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-4 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-11 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | PaleoAmerica (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2055-5563 • E-ISSN: 2055-5571 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/20555563.2025.2600141 |
| OpenAlex | W4417264634 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 28 |
The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) age of the White Sands Locality 2 archaeological site in southern New Mexico has redefined the peopling of the Americas. The earliest archaeological sites in North America south of Beringia ranged in age from ∼16,000 to ∼14,500 years ago. This timing followed the LGM and allowed for human migrations along the Pacific coast unimpeded by substantial glacial ice barriers. Radiocarbon dates of ∼23,000–20,700 calibrated years before present (cal yr BP) for human trackways at White Sands Locality 2 indicate a presence requiring much earlier migration south and prompting a reconsideration of when a Pacific coastal route was unglaciated.
Glacial period · Last Glacial Maximum · Population · West coast · White (mutation) · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
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| Highly cited | No |
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