Giant Armadillo Fossil Shows Early Human Presence

In a groundbreaking find, researchers have uncovered evidence of human interaction with giant armadillo-like creatures over 20,000 years ago in what is now Argentina. This discovery adds to a growing body of research suggesting that humans settled the Americas much earlier than previously thought.

A chance discovery along the Reconquista River near Buenos Aires. A bulldozer unearthed fossilized vertebrae and pelvis of an extinct armadillo species called Neosclerocalyptus. This creature, weighing about 660 pounds and measuring nearly 6 feet long, was a distant relative of modern armadillos.

Upon closer examination, scientists found 32 linear marks on the bones. After ruling out natural causes, they concluded these marks were made by stone tools. The strategic placement of the cuts suggests deliberate butchering for meat, focusing on areas with large muscle packs.

Radiocarbon dating placed the fossils between 20,811 and 21,090 years old, challenging the traditional timeline of human arrival in the Americas. This finding aligns with other recent discoveries, such as 23,000-year-old human footprints in New Mexico and 27,000-year-old sloth bone pendants in Brazil.

The implications are significant. These discoveries push back the estimated arrival of humans in the Americas to at least 25,000 years ago, if not earlier. This new timeline coincides with the Last Glacial Maximum, a period when massive ice sheets covered much of North America, making the traditional migration route from Asia to Alaska seemingly impassable.

This research not only sheds light on early human migration but also on our ancestors’ interactions with now-extinct ice age fauna. It paints a picture of resourceful early Americans adapting to and thriving in new environments, armed with stone tools and ingenuity.

Re-reported from the article originally published in CNN.