A stunning discovery in southern Chile has revealed a fossilized human footprint dating back to **15,600 years ago**. This finding may change how we view early human migration into the Americas, suggesting that humans may have arrived over **1,000 years earlier** than scientists previously thought.
The footprint was found near **Osorno** in 2010 but took nearly ten years of research to confirm its age. If validated, it would be the oldest known footprint in the Americas and could reshape our understanding of human history on the continent.
Researchers from **Universidad Austral de Chile**, led by **Karen Moreno**, studied this significant find. Their work, published in **PLOS One**, challenges long-standing beliefs about when humans first inhabited South America. Previously, the **Monte Verde** site, dated to about **14,600 years ago**, was believed to mark the earliest signs of human presence. The new footprint pushes that date back and offers official evidence of human activity older than **12,000 years**.
Moreno highlighted the importance of this discovery:
“Little by little in South America, we’re finding sites with evidence of human presence, but this is the oldest in the Americas.”
Since the footprint couldn’t be directly dated, researchers analyzed the surrounding **sediment layer**, which included seeds, wood fragments, and even parts of a **mastodon skull**. These clues helped effectively anchor the footprint’s age. The footprint site is also rich with bones of other extinct animals, suggesting it might have been a hunting ground.
For years, determining whether the footprint was human or animal took extensive testing. Moreno’s team conducted **nine experiments** to assess the pressure needed to create a similar indentation. The results indicated the print was made by a **barefoot adult male** weighing around **155 pounds**. The footprint’s unique shape and pressure distribution matched no known animals and confirmed its human origin, leading to its classification as **Hominipes modernus**.
This research connects to a broader narrative of early human history. A report in **Nature** highlighted that similar discoveries across North America provide insight into the migration patterns of ancient peoples. While this Chilean footprint stands as the earliest direct evidence in South America, findings in Texas suggest human presence in North America may also date back **15,500 years**. Such discoveries highlight the complexity of human migration, suggesting that early peoples adapted to diverse environments across the Americas.
Overall, these findings help piece together the puzzle of human history in the Americas. As more research emerges, the story of how our ancestors inhabited this vast continent continues to unfold.
