Human footprints dating back to about 23,000 years have been found in New Mexico.

Ancient footprints found in New Mexico's White Sands National Park are about 23000 years old, indicating human existence prior to the last ice age.

Ancient footprints found in New Mexico's White Sands National Park are about 23000 years old, indicating human existence prior to the last ice age.Many studies have suggested that humans existed across North and South America only at the end of the last ice age. The findings are based on various tools, spear tips, scrapers, and needles dated to about 13000 years ago. Final year, Dr. Ardelean and his colleagues proposed finding stone tools in a mountain cave in Mexico dating back 26,000 years. However, many archaeologists have expressed skepticism about the results.

In the latest study published in Science, a research team has discovered a set of human footprints in New Mexico's White Sands National Park that date back to 23,000 years. The footprints were first found in 2009 by David Bustos, the park's resource program manager. The prints are identified predominantly to be of children and teenagers. The scientists measured the carbon in ancient ditch grass seeds to find out the age. The research has provided new proof of human existence earlier than previously known.