How a single human footprint in ancient sediment rewrites the story of early coastal migration

Wed, 06 May 2026 16:25:13 +0000

**How a Single Human Footprint in Ancient Sediment Rewrites the Story of Early Coastal Migration** A tiny, preserved footprint buried deep in ancient coastal mud has changed what scientists know about how humans first explored the Americas. Found in layers of sediment dating back nearly 12,000 years, this fragile trace reveals that people moved along coastlines far earlier than previously believed—challenging long-standing theories about migration patterns across the Americas. This breakthrough isn’t just a footstep on stone—it’s a window into how early coastal communities adapted to shifting environments, hunted coastal resources, and navigated fragile shorelines during a time of dramatic climate change. For researchers, it underscores the growing role of subtle, well-dated sediment layers in uncovering human history in regions once dismissed as marginal to early migration. ---