[Batrachian]

They are dating charcoal, so those petroglyphs are somewhat misleading, or have they been dated too? Charcoal occurs naturally, and could be of any age. I would say that this research is far from conclusive, although there is no theoretical reason why humans couldn't have come to the new world 56,000 years ago. The problem is lack of evidence.

I don't believe that the South American Indians have diverged from their Mongolian ancestors sufficiently to account for 50,000+ years of seperation, but that's pure speculation on my part.

[blam]

It's been an on-going debate for some time

Brazilian Findings Spark Archaeological Debate

[ElkGroveDan]

I don't believe that the South American Indians have diverged from their Mongolian ancestors sufficiently to account for 50,000+ years of seperation, but that's pure speculation on my part.

Though there were people there that long ago, nothing says they had to be the genetic ancestors of the current inhabitants

[ZULU]

"The new study says that thermoluminscence testing of the hearthstones showed that they "were heated independently from the stones found outside the hearths in the same layer; thus, refuting the possibility that the stones were heated by natural fires".

Seems to indicate the Charcoal was not due to natural causes. If the area around the cave site lacked any forests at the time the charcoal was dated, i.e. was a dry period, it seems unlikely the source was a natural forest fire.

This cave site has been the focus of much discussion and dissention in paleoanthropology.

The "African Eve" theory postulates that modern Homo sapiens moved out of the Horn of Africa into the Yemen around 80,000 years ago, moved along the southern shores of Asia to Australia by 60,000 years ago. These figures could indicate a human presence in SOuth America prior to that date which is questionable if movement occurred only in an easterly direction out of Africa.

On the other hand, a reconstruction of an ancient dated skull from South America bears African features, as do the Olmec Stone Heads of Central America and some South American tribes today and some of the Eastern Woodland Tribes of North America had Caucasoid features. The Solutrean points of western Europe are similar to Clovis points. Its possible that early modern man moved into the Americas simultaneously from several origin points. People consistently appaer to underestimate the abilities of early man to move around and accomplish things. They lived in a far more hostile environment than ours and must have been just as bright as we are, prehaps more so in their ability to utilze their environment to best advantage - or we wouldn't be here reading this.

[ThanhPhero]

Today's inhabitants might have no relationship to those of 50k years ago. "They" probably came to America from many places at many times. Those tat we think of as "originals" are just the group that was dominant in the middle of the last millennium.

[gleeaikin]

The report said that 3 of the samples tested as earlier than 56,000 ya, but could not be read. The other two were in the 50 to 55 kya range. Part of the lack of evidence is the unwillingness of people to look at evidence they have rejected out of hand. I was talking with an anthropologist/archaeologist (not sure which) on the east coast who had worked in California. She said there was evidence there she believed was at least 200,000 years old, but nobody wanted to touch it.

I have seen photos of primitive Brazilian tribesmen who look more European than Asian. Doubt they were the children of modern Europeans.

[ElkGroveDan]

I don't believe that the South American Indians have diverged from their Mongolian ancestors sufficiently to account for 50,000+ years of seperation,

All that means is that the fires weren't created by South American Indians. Perhaps the Indians wiped out some other "native" people who were here first.

[ThanhPhero]

Who says the 56k old people were necessarily of Mongolian stock? The 40k Australians are/were not.