A new series of "ghost tracks"—human footprints visible only under specific moisture conditions—has been identified at White Sands National Park, pushing back the timeline of human presence in North America. Published in Paleo-Anthropology Quarterly, the study uses refined dating of Ruppia maritima seeds found within the tracks to confirm a date of 18,000 years ago, during the Last Glacial Maximum.
The tracks show a clear interaction between humans and megafauna, with human footprints overlapping the tracks of a Columbian mammoth and a giant ground sloth. This suggests a long period of coexistence and sophisticated hunting or tracking strategies practiced by these early inhabitants long before the Clovis culture emerged.
- Identification of tracks belonging to a group of teenagers and children.
- Analysis of 'slip-and-slide' patterns suggesting play or pursuit.
- Evidence of a humid, lake-filled environment in what is now a desert.