Scientists change minds yet again on Native people

Monday, February 26, 2007  

Scientists are changing their minds about who they think were America's first inhabitants.

The prevailing theory is that a group of people swept across North and South America about 13,000 years ago. The "Clovis" people -- named for a site in New Mexico -- brought stone tools with them, according to scientists.

But in a paper published in Science, researchers say new dating indicates the "Clovis" period didn't last as long as expected. That would have made it impossible for a small group of people to populate North and South America so quickly.

The researchers say people were already living in the Americas when the "Clovis" people arrived. They just don't know those people are.

Get the Story:
1st-American title debated (The Denver Post 2/26)
Americas' 1st people rethought (The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel 2/24)

Relevant Links:
Science - http://www.sciencemag.org

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