Perspective Direct dates and mtDNA from Late Pleistocene human skeletons from South America: a comment on Chatters et al. 2014.

JACKSON, DONALD; MENDEZ, C.; DE SAINT PIERRE, M.; POLITIS, G.; ASPILLAGA, E.

PaleoAmerica

Center for the Study of the First Americans

Año: 2014

2055-5563

Despite one of the most accepted ancient evidence of early human occupation of the New World is found in South America (Monte Verde II, 14.6 ka), most of the directly dated bioarchaeological evidence has been yet located in North America. In a recent paper (2014), J. Chatters and others provided original information on a new assemblage of early human remains, but discuss it suggesting that the only available directly dated skeletal remains older than 12,000 years ago (12 ka) have been located in North America. However in the last few years, data recovered form archaeological sites and museum collections have included directly dated skeletal human remains from different locations in South America as older as the ones cited by the authors. Significant implications can be derived from the radiocarbon, bioanthropological, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) information from this dataset, posing new repercussions for the initial peopling of the New World, especially considering the antiquity of the earliest accepted sites in the region.