Mastodon discovery shakes up understanding of early humans in the New World: Broken bones and rocks yield evidence that pushes back the record of early humans in North America by more than 100,000 years

56  2017-04-26 by ToddWhiskey

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170426143033.htm

"An Ice Age paleontological-turned-archaeological site in San Diego, Calif., preserves 130,000-year-old bones and teeth of a mastodon that show evidence of modification by early humans. Analysis of these finds dramatically revises the timeline for when humans first reached North America, according to a paper to be published in the April 27 issue of the journal Nature.

The fossil remains were discovered by Museum paleontologists during routine paleontological mitigation work at a freeway expansion project site managed by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The bones, tusks, and molars, many of which are sharply broken, were found deeply buried alongside large stones that appeared to have been used as hammers and anvils, making this the oldest in situ, well-documented archaeological site in the Americas.

"This discovery is rewriting our understanding of when humans reached the New World. The evidence we found at this site indicates that some hominin species was living in North America 115,000 years earlier than previously thought," said Judy Gradwohl, president and CEO of the San Diego Natural History Museum, whose paleontology team discovered the fossils, managed the excavation, and incorporated the specimens into the Museum's research collection. "This raises intriguing questions about how these early humans arrived here and who they were.

The finding poses a lot more questions than answers: Who were these people? Are they part of an early -- but failed -- colonization attempt? Or is there a long, but as of yet, scarcely recognized presence of humans in this hemisphere?"

17 comments

n/a  TheMadQuixotician 2017-04-26

We know nothing! Hooray!

n/a  ToddWhiskey 2017-04-26

Have you ever heard about [Charles C. Mann's book 1491?]

(https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2002/03/1491/302445/)

Before it became the New World, the Western Hemisphere was vastly more populous and sophisticated than has been thought—an altogether more salubrious place to live at the time than, say, Europe. New evidence of both the extent of the population and its agricultural advancement leads to a remarkable conjecture: the Amazon rain forest may be largely a human artifact.

Of course, not everyone agrees:

"I have seen no evidence that large numbers of people ever lived in the Beni," says Betty J. Meggers, of the Smithsonian Institution. "Claiming otherwise is just wishful thinking."

n/a  IGOTCOURIERPLZ 2017-04-26

There were already a few rebuttals about this release that I saw this morning. The mastadon fossils were found by construction equipment that were tearing up bedrock to build a road.

Quite a few paleontologists have said the construction equipment is a much more common/plausible answer than the 120k claim. Oldest records currently are 12k so this is a huge jump.

n/a  ToddWhiskey 2017-04-26

Quite a few paleontologists have said the construction equipment is a much more common/plausible answer than the 120k claim.

From the paper:

"We conclude that the reliably dated Cerruti Mastodon site constitutes an in situ archaeological association based on: a clearly defined and undisturbed stratigraphic context; comparative taphonomy; bone modifications like those produced by Palaeolithic percussion technology and replicated by experimental archaeology; presence of hammerstones and anvils that exhibit use-wear and impact marks; and presence of rock fragments that can be refitted to breakage scars. Bone breakage for marrow extraction and/or bone and molar tool manufacture is the preferred archaeological interpretation of the CM site, as there is no evidence of butchery. "

n/a  tophilcaticus 2017-04-26

The hammerstones and anvils are dubious at best, there are hammer and anvils from hominin sites much earlier and much more definitive than this. Much more likely they are 'exoliths' a la sauropod 'gastoliths' in the Morrison Formation. The bone modifications, spiral fractures, have been shown to occur in old dry bone - not just fresh. If not modern hominin alterations (e.g. modification by backhoe), then a debris flow, or other type of high energy event is much more likely.

n/a  Tecumsehs_Revenge 2017-04-26

Oldest "accepted" several sites with 13-33k ish Texas Oklahoma and the caves in South America.

Northern Oklahoma has some promising 27k sites

n/a  Finitism 2017-04-26

How come my parents and family who operate machinery all over the US, have never found any fossils? I've always wondered if fossilized bones are nothing more than rocks.

n/a  James_Alefantis69 2017-04-26

Im not trying to be rude but you clearly have a very limited knowledge on fossils, their composition, and the almost perfect conditions that need to be met in order to make a fossil. They are pretty much rocks, you dont find actual "bones".

n/a  Finitism 2017-04-26

So most construction workers will never come across a "fossil"? Have you heard of the, "Great Dinosaur Rush"?

n/a  Undertakerjoe 2017-04-26

Lead by a brontosaurus, yet will never be in the rock-n-roll hall of fame....

n/a  evenglow 2017-04-26

Hey everyone look at me!

n/a  Finitism 2017-04-26

So smart!

n/a  evenglow 2017-04-26

Thanks.

n/a  BillyErdball 2017-04-26

This is a perfect example of why the phrase "the science is settled!" drive me nuts. The science is never settled, climate change included.

n/a  jubway 2017-04-26

Definitely. Unable to find any additional evidence of something and those lazy scientists call it a day and say the science is settled. Like when they keep finding more evidence and keep telling everyone that "This is happening. Seriously, look at this data, look at this evidence, look at what's happening all over the world!" we are supposed to believe that these people who have trained in these specialized fields know what they are talking about? That's ridiculous.

n/a  BillyErdball 2017-04-26

Don't strawman me bro. I just said the science is never settled. We are constantly learning new information.

n/a  jubway 2017-04-26

But we believe the evidence we find. If/when new evidence arises, we will review our stance. But until then, we follow where the evidence takes us.

n/a  WhyIHateTheInternet 2017-04-26

How come when I go to r/conspiracy I see the same shit at the top as r/news? That's the real fucking conspiracy. There needs to be a rule to stop all this. If I want to read news I know where to go, but i have no clue where to go to read conspiracy shit.