New research reveals evidence of people living in the Americas earlier than believed

New research has indicated that humans may have lived in South America during the same time period as now-extinct giant sloths, challenging previous beliefs about the early human presence in the Americas. The scientists examined teardrop-shaped and triangular pendants made from the sloths’ bones and concluded that the drilled holes, carved shapes, and polished surfaces showed evidence of human craftsmanship.

These pendants, estimated to be between 25,000 and 27,000 years old, are the oldest personal ornaments discovered in the Americas. They are also unique in their composition, as they are believed to be made from giant sloth bone, according to Thais Pansani, a paleontologist and the lead author of the study.

This suggested time period predates some theories that suggested humans arrived in the Americas after migrating from Africa and Eurasia. Mirian Liza Alves Forancelli Pacheco, an archaeologist at the Federal University of Sao Carlos in Brazil and co-author of the study, stated that this finding, along with other sites in South and North America, challenges previous notions about human migration to the Americas.

In recent years, other research has questioned the traditional belief that humans reached the Americas only a few thousand years before the Bering land bridge was submerged by rising sea levels approximately 15,000 years ago.

The pendants were initially discovered around 30 years ago at a rock shelter called ‘Santa Elina’ in central Brazil. The new study represents the first extensive analysis of these artifacts and provides evidence against the possibility that humans carved them thousands of years after the sloths’ extinction. The research team, consisting of scientists from the US, France, and Brazil, determined that the pendants were crafted within days to a few years after the sloths were killed and before the bones had fossilized. The researchers ruled out natural abrasion and other explanations for the shapes and holes found in the pendants.

Thais Rabito Pansani, a co-author and paleontologist at the Federal University of Sao Carlos, suggested that these pendants were personal objects, possibly used for adornment. Jennifer Raff, an anthropological geneticist at the University of Kansas, described the new findings as an important addition to the conversation about early human presence in the Americas, but noted that they may also face criticism from other researchers.