21,000-year-old Neoesclerocalyptus fossils with man-made cut marks
It's one of those moments that creationists like to pretend is a weakness of science - time to reconsider what we thought we knew and to update our understanding in the light of new evidence.
In short, time to do what a dogmatic, intellectually bankrupt creationist can never do - consider being wrong and changing our mind because the evidence has changed.
The reason for this reassessment is that the fossilised remains of a species of glyptodont or giant armadillo, a Neoesclerocalyptus, has been discovered on the bank of the Reconquista River, in Argentina that have been dated to 21,000 years ago, that bears the unmistakable cut marks of butchery by humans. Previously, the earliest incontrovertible evidence of humans in South America put it at about 16,000 years ago. The fossils were discovered and analysed by a team of palaeontologists led by scientists from the National University of La Plata, Argentina.
This is a clear 11,000 years before creationists believe the Universe was magicked into existence, and so puts this event in the 99.9975% of Earth's history that occurred before creationists believe it existed, based on the best guesses of parochial Middle-eastern pastoralists who believe the entire universe consisted of a small flat planet with a dome over it that contained nothing that wasn't known to the people who filled the gap in their knowledge with childish guesses.
The fossilised remains of a Neoesclerocalyptus has been found in Argentina dated to 21,000 years ago, showing signs of butchery by humans (cut marks)* How does this fit with what we know of human migration into South America? The discovery of fossilized remains of a Neoesclerocalyptus in Argentina, dated to 21,000 years ago and showing signs of butchery by humans, is a significant finding that can shed light on human migration into South America. Here's how this fits with what we know:
Human Migration into the Americas
Significance of the Neoesclerocalyptus Finding
- Traditional Understanding:
- For many years, the prevailing theory was that humans migrated into the Americas via the Bering Land Bridge from Siberia to Alaska during the last Ice Age, around 13,000 to 16,000 years ago. This theory was supported by the Clovis culture, known for its distinctive stone tools, which dates to around 13,000 years ago.
- Pre-Clovis Evidence:
- Recent archaeological discoveries have increasingly challenged the Clovis-first model, suggesting that humans were present in the Americas earlier than previously thought. Sites such as Monte Verde in Chile, dating to about 18,500 years ago, have provided evidence of pre-Clovis human habitation in South America.
- Dating:
- The Neoesclerocalyptus remains dated to 21,000 years ago push the timeline of human presence in South America back even further than sites like Monte Verde. This suggests that humans were in the continent several thousand years earlier than the widely accepted date for the first human migration into the Americas.
- Evidence of Butchery:
- The cut marks on the Neoesclerocalyptus bones indicate that humans not only coexisted with these megafauna but also hunted and butchered them. This provides direct evidence of human activity and subsistence practices in South America during this period.
Implications for Human Migration Theories
- Earlier Arrival:
- The finding supports the idea that humans arrived in South America earlier than traditionally believed. This aligns with other recent evidence suggesting a more complex and extended timeline for human migration into the Americas.
- Migration Routes:
- The presence of humans in Argentina 21,000 years ago implies that migration routes into South America may have been more diverse than the Bering Land Bridge route alone. Coastal routes along the Pacific may have facilitated earlier human movement into the southern parts of the continent.
- Adaptation and Survival:
- Evidence of butchery indicates that early humans in South America were adept at exploiting local megafauna for sustenance. This adaptability would have been crucial for their survival in diverse and changing environments.
Broader Context
- Climate and Environment:
- Around 21,000 years ago, the world was in the midst of the Last Glacial Maximum, a period of extensive glaciation. This would have created challenges for human migration and settlement but also opportunities, as lowered sea levels exposed new land bridges and migration corridors.
- Interaction with Megafauna:
- The interaction between early humans and megafauna like Neoesclerocalyptus adds to our understanding of the ecological dynamics during this period. It also raises questions about the role of human hunting in the eventual extinction of many large prehistoric animals.
Conclusion
The discovery of the Neoesclerocalyptus remains with cut marks in Argentina dated to 21,000 years ago provides compelling evidence that humans were present in South America much earlier than traditionally believed. This finding challenges existing theories of human migration into the Americas, suggesting a more complex and nuanced picture of early human dispersal and adaptation in the New World.
This new evidence pushes the date for the earliest known human activity in South America, back by 5,000 years, which means that humans had crossed the land bridge of Beringia between Siberia and Alaska, migrated down the West Coast of North America, through Central America and the Amazon rainforest and into the Pampas of southern South America at least 5,000 earlier than we thought.
It also gives weight to the theory that humans were responsible, at least in part, for the extinction of the South American megafauna.
How this fossil was found and investigated is the subject of an open access paper in PLOS ONE and a press release from the National University of La Plata (UNLP):
UNLP scientists discover the oldest record of human presence in South America
A team of researchers from the Natural Sciences Museum of the National University of La Plata confirmed the presence of humans and their interaction with megafauna in the region occurred much earlier than science had previously believed. They were able to determine that the fossilized remains of a specimen of glyptodont recently found in Buenos Aires province show evidence of having been butchered and consumed by a group of humans, approximately 21,000 years ago.
This particular specimen of Neoesclerocalyptus sp., belonging to the group of armored mammals known as glyptodonts, was found in 2016 in the ravines of the Reconquista River, in the town of Merlo, province of Buenos Aires. The appearance of this giant emerging from the muddy bed could mark a true paradigm shift, since until now science suggests that human presence in America, and in particular in southern South America, dates back some 16,000 years. This discovery not only becomes one of the oldest evidences of human presence in South America, but also confirms the direct interaction of humans with megafauna, which progressively decreased until finally becoming extinct almost ten millennia later.
The work carried out by Doctors in Natural Sciences Mariano Del Papa and Miguel Delgado Burbano , and Licentiate Martín de los Reyes , was published today by the international scientific journal PLOS ONE , one of the most important and prestigious open access publications in the world.
During a tour of the steep ravines found in the Reconquista River, in the town of Merlo, local paleontologist Guillermo Jofré observed the presence of bones from a fossil specimen of animal origin. Upon recovering and cleaning the remains from sediment, the specialist observed that it was the incomplete skeleton of a glyptodont, an armored animal belonging to the Neoesclerocalyptus genus , an ancient relative of the current mules and hairy ones, which became extinct 10 thousand years ago.
The work carried out by Doctors in Natural Sciences Mariano Del Papa and Miguel Delgado Burbano , and Licentiate Martín de los Reyes , was published today by the international scientific journal PLOS ONE , one of the most important and prestigious open access publications in the world.
During a tour of the steep ravines found in the Reconquista River, in the town of Merlo, local paleontologist Guillermo Jofré observed the presence of bones from a fossil specimen of animal origin. Upon recovering and cleaning the remains from sediment, the specialist observed that it was the incomplete skeleton of a glyptodont, an armored animal belonging to the Neoesclerocalyptus genus , an ancient relative of the current mules and hairy ones, which became extinct 10 thousand years ago.
Views of the excavation site on the Reconquista River.Once the specimen was recovered from the site, the sediments containing the specimen were cleaned. This stage was documented in detail, recording the position of the anatomical units and the distribution of the sediments. These first results allowed us to realize that once the butchering tasks were carried out by the hunters, the remains underwent a rapid natural burial process, allowing an exceptional state of conservation for the study of the cut marks. The marks found show a very particular distribution pattern, characteristic of cuts made by human action, which are also observed in different parts of the tail of this specimen, which allowed us to establish that it was humans who used it as part of their diet.
Dr. Mariano Del Papa, co-author
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo
División Antropología
Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.Different types of specialized studies were carried out on the fossilized remains, from radiocarbon dating of the specimen and sediments, chemical analysis of sediments found on the shell, to high-resolution 3D scanning and quantitative analysis of the marks. All these analyses made it possible to establish the age of the find, the paleoenvironment in which the specimen lived, and the human origin of the marks by making detailed comparisons with experimental marks derived from current studies.[I]n order to determine the age of the animal, they based themselves on studies commonly used to define the age of stratigraphic and radiometric rocks. The glyptodont was found in the oldest layer or stratum, that is, at the base of the riverside ravines. Comparing it with previous geological studies in the area, the discovery was placed within the last glacial maximum of the Pleistocene, some 20,000 years before the present."
Lic. Martín de Los Reyes, co-author
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo
División Paleontología Vertebrados
Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.This discovery and the results obtained represent a very significant contribution to the exciting discussion about the antiquity of human presence in America.Fossils of Neoesclerocalyptus showing vertebrae, carapace and caudal tube.
This study undoubtedly reveals new information about the first inhabitants of the Pampas region, their interaction with megafauna, and proposes a paradigm shift regarding the first human settlement of America. The results of this research are the fruit of investigations carried out thanks to the interdisciplinary contribution of researchers from the La Plata Museum belonging to the National University of La Plata, CONICET, the Center for Geological Research (CIG-UNLP-CONICET), the Institut Pasteur of Paris, the municipality of Merlo (province of Buenos Aires) and the Azara Foundation.The paradigm of the settlement of the continent suggests that humans entered America about 16 thousand years ago, but it turns out that in recent years much older evidence has begun to appear in Brazil, Canada, the United States and Mexico, among other places. There is a traditional view that says that these findings are anomalies, that it is not known exactly how they occurred, but there is a growing number of very serious studies published in the most prestigious scientific journals, which place the first entry between 20 and 30 thousand years ago.
Dr. Miguel Delgado, corresponding author
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo
División Antropología
Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.
AbstractBecause the standard response of creationists to bad news such as this is to dismiss it and claim the scientists either used a flawed dating method or falsified their results, I have included the scientists description of how they dated these fossil remains. All a creationist who intends to use this misrepresentation need do is point out from this description where they went wrong. Of course, those creationists who merely parrot the standard creationist squawks without understanding them will be utterly incapable of doing this.
The initial peopling of South America is a topic of intense archaeological debate. Among the most contentious issues remain the nature of the human-megafauna interaction and the possible role of humans, along with climatic change, in the extinction of several megamammal genera at the end of the Pleistocene. In this study, we present the analysis of fossil remains with cutmarks belonging to a specimen of Neosclerocalyptus (Xenarthra, Glyptodontidae), found on the banks of the Reconquista River, northeast of the Pampean region (Argentina), whose AMS 14C dating corresponds to the Last Glacial Maximum (21,090–20,811 cal YBP). Paleoenvironmental reconstructions, stratigraphic descriptions, absolute chronological dating of bone materials, and deposits suggest a relatively rapid burial event of the bone assemblage in a semi-dry climate during a wet season. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the cut marks, reconstruction of butchering sequences, and assessments of the possible agents involved in the observed bone surface modifications indicate anthropic activities. Our results provide new elements for discussing the earliest peopling of southern South America and specifically for the interaction between humans and local megafauna in the Pampean region during the Last Glacial Maximum.
Introduction
The timing, pattern, and process of the early peopling of South America at the end of the Pleistocene are highly debated topics since the mid-19th century. During these early stages, research efforts were focused in the co-occurrence of human remains and extinct mammals along with the eventual presence of hearths and lithic artifacts. Indeed, the earliest research dating back to 1880 proposed the coexistence of humans and extinct megafauna (referred as Pliocene fauna) on the basis of cultural evidence, alleged anthropic modifications of fossil bones and the geological context of the deposits [1]. This research was later revised or even discredited in the early 20th Century [2], and the investigation of the early peopling processes progressively lost the interest of scholars working in southern South America and strongly influenced the development of the regional archaeological research throughout the 20th Century, including the Pampean region [3]. The advent of new 14C dating technologies, theoretical frameworks, and methodological approaches (including ancient DNA techniques) revived the interest of the initial peopling of the Americas, which extended also to the case of the Southern Cone [4–6]. Despite major advances regarding our understanding of when and how humans entered the subcontinent, their biological and cultural diversity, how they adapted to diverse landscapes, environmental scenarios, and their routes of dispersal [7–10], the evidence of the first human populations entering the subcontinent and their interactions with local megafauna continue to be scarce, with the archaeological record fragmented and asymmetrically distributed in spatial terms [11–13]. The association of humans and extinct animals, large-bodied mainly, has been documented at some early sites across South America including (Fig 1): Tibitó (Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia) [14]; Taima Taima (Venezuela) [15]; Toca da Janela da Barra do Antonião, Abismo Ponta da Flecha, Santa Elina rockshelter (Brazil) [16–19]; Arroyo Seco 2, Campo Laborde, La Moderna, Cerro La China, Tixi cave, Los Pinos, Amalia site 2, Cueva Burucuya, Lobería 1 site 1, Los Helechos, Paso Otero 4 and Paso Otero 5 (Pampean Region, Argentina) [20–31]; Huenul cave, Los Toldos cave 3, Piedra Museo-AEP-1, Casa del Minero 1 cave, Cerro Casa de Piedra 7, El Trébol rockshelter, Túnel cave, Epullán Grande cave, Chorrillo Malo 2 (Argentine continental Patagonia) [32–40]; Las Guanacas rockshelter, Monte Verde, Fell cave, Marifilo rockshelter, Milodón cave, Lago Sofía-1 cave, Lago Sofía 4 cave (Chilean continental Patagonia) [41–47]; Marazzi rockshelter and Tres Arroyos rockshelter (Chilean insular Patagonia) [48,49]. In this sense, the Pampean region has played a central role in the discussions about the timing and pattern of the peopling of the Southern Cone during the late Pleistocene, especially regarding the interaction between humans and megafauna, the spatiotemporal distribution of different megamammal genera and their exploitation by humans in the context of broad-spectrum subsistence strategies [11,20–31]. In general, in the Argentine Pampas the archaeological record of the extinct megafauna is regionally restricted [50] and some areas (e.g., the North) still lack evidence of it.The association between humans and megafauna (sensu [11]:145) can be supported in the form of (1) physical associations, which simply refer to bones and tools found side by side, or in the same deposit; and (2) behavioral associations, which require the demonstration of human activities related to megafauna. A trademark of human behavioral contexts is the presence of cut marks in bones, which reflect direct interactions, and represents the most expected evidence for megafaunal bones processed by humans. The challenge for such evidence is to demonstrate that it was human made, discarding postmortem and perimortem modifications from non-human agents. During surveys performed at the southern margin of the Reconquista River, the northern area of the Pampean region (Fig 2), fossil bones of extinct megafauna were uncovered. Subsequent analyses revealed cut marks but no physical associations (sensu [11]), that could be potentially linked to human activities, were identified in the site. The bone surface modifications (BSMs) observed in several anatomical units required a detailed analysis taking into account the context of the finding and the taphonomic history of the deposits, that is, the potential agents involved in the site formation processes, especially those agents acting during perimortem and postmortem moments, to eventually defend a behavioral association (sensu [11]).
Fig 1. Map indicating the geographical location of archaeological sites with evidence of humans and extinct fauna across South America mentioned in the text corresponding to late Pleistocene and early Holocene occupations (dates calibrated at 2σ).
For dates related to numbered sites, see the full captionHere, we present the results of multiple analyses performed in the fossil remains of a Neosclerocalyptus sp. (Xenarthra, Glyptodontidae) specimen (CRS-10), which altogether represents what we consider one of the earliest evidence of the interaction between humans and local megafauna in South America at the end of the Pleistocene (see also [19]).
Fig 2. Map showing the location of the site investigated. A litho-stratigraphic profile of the site where the CRS-10 specimen was found (banks of the Reconquista River), including the calibrated radiocarbon dates obtained.
Base map: MDE-Ar v2.1 hillshade and 1:250000 vector layers from the IGN (Instituto Geográfico Nacional, República Argentina).
[…]
Radiocarbon dating
To contextualize chronologically the fossil assemblage recovered, two radiocarbon dates were obtained. The first came from a fragment of the pelvis of the CRS-10 specimen (AMS) obtained at CIRAM SAS Lab (code CIRAM-2620) (Pessac–France). Given the absence of collagen, the date was determined from hydroxyapatite, the inorganic bone fraction a procedure widely validated in the 14C dating methods currently available [52,53].
Sample preparation
Bone samples were chemically pretreated using the methodology applied by Cherkinsky et al. [54]. After washing the samples with water and cleaning the external surface of bone fragments, 4–5 g of the fragments were treated with 2 × 50 mL of 0.25 M sodium chlorite (24 hr, 20°C) in a centrifuge tube to remove organic residues. After that, the samples were washed in ultrapure water followed by treating the samples with 2 × 50 mL 1 M acetic acid (24 hr, 20°C) to remove exogenous carbonates and less well-crystallized crystallites of apatite. Finally, all samples were washed repetitively in ultrapure water again until a transparent liquid was observed and, after decantation, samples were oven-dried at 60°C overnight.
Graphitization
The graphitization procedure of the samples was performed using Carbonate Handling System and Automated Graphitization Equipment (CHS-AGE-3, Ionplus AG). 600 mg of the crushed sample was weighed in a borosilicate vial, flushed with helium carrier gas, treated with 85% orthophosphoric acid, and kept at 70°C for 5 hr in the Carbonate Handling System. The CO2 released from the sample was carried by He gas to AGE-3 graphitization system through the online sulphur trap consisting of a heater with controlled temperature and a quartz tube filled with silvered cobaltous oxide granules. In the AGE-3 system, CO2 was trapped on the zeolite trap and thermally released into the reactor with an iron catalyst. The graphitization reaction of CO2 with H2 took place at 580°C for 2 hours. The AGE-3 system consists of 7 reactors in which graphitization takes place simultaneously.
Radiocarbon analysis
Radiocarbon measurements were made with a 240 kV Single-Stage Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (SSAMS, NEC, USA) with 39 position Source of Negative Ions by Cesium Sputtering (SNICS). The background of measurements was estimated to be 2.45 × 10−3 fM (fraction of modern carbon) using phthalic anhydride. The IAEA-C2 and SIRI-K (carbonate) standards were used as reference materials. The 14C/12C ratio was measured with an accuracy better than 0.3%. For the isotopic fractionation correction, the 13C/12C ratio was used. Radiocarbon dates are reported as pMC (percent of modern carbon) and in years before 1950 (radiocarbon age BP). The correction factor used was a pMC value of 11.47 ± 0.07. A second date was made on bivalve mollusks Diplodon sp. coming from the Jáuregui member, the level below the CRS-10 finding. The calibration was done using an estimated correction factor δ13C = pMC -8 ± 2‰ (error multiplying factor K = 1) performed at the Laboratorio de Radiocarbono del Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina. (LATYR–UNLP). The treatment protocol for the mollusk shells was washing with water and then subjected to ultrasonic bath to remove traces of adhered material, then the specimens were treated with HCl solution to remove the 20% in wt of the surface carbonate, and the dried sample was transformed into benzene. The activity was measured by liquid scintillation spectrometry (LSC) with Packard Tricarb 3170TR/SL equipment. Ages are in radiocarbon years before present (1950 AD)—denominated conventional radiocarbon age- corrected by isotopic fractionation with δ13C values were estimated by table [55]. Both dates were calibrated using the rcarbon package [56] and the calibration curve SHcal 20 [57] at 2-sigma, 95.4% probabilities.
Del Papa M, De Los Reyes M, Poiré DG, Rascovan N, Jofré G, Delgado M (2024)
Anthropic cut marks in extinct megafauna bones from the Pampean region (Argentina) at the last glacial maximum. PLoS ONE 19(7): e0304956. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0304956
Copyright: © 2024 The authors.
Published by PLoS. Open access.
Reprinted under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0)
Meanwhile, the evidence is fairly straightforward - there were humans hunting glyptodont in Argentina, 11,000 years before the Bible's authors thought the Universe was created. But then, what did ignorant Bronze Age pastoralists from the Canaanite Hills know of glyptodonts or South America? They didn't even realise there was a southern hemisphere, let alone continents with people and animals on them - which is why there is not a single mention of any of them in the Bible, or anything else that wasn't from within a day or two's walk of the Canaanite Hills.
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