October 8, 2024

Glacial Pathfinders: Tracing North America’s First Migrants via the Sea Ice Highway

These early Americans likely traveled along the Pacific coastline from Beringia, the land bridge between Asia and North America that emerged throughout the last glacial optimum when ice sheets bound up large quantities of water, causing sea levels to fall.Now, in research study that was presented Friday, December 15, at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting (AGU23) in San Franciso, paleoclimate restorations of the Pacific Northwest hint that sea ice may have been one method for people to move farther south.Coastal Migration TheoriesThe idea that early Americans might have traveled along the Pacific Coast isnt new. As a cold-adapted people, “rather than having to paddle against this horrible glacial existing, possibly they were utilizing the sea ice as a platform,” Praetorius said.Sea Ice as a Migration PathArctic individuals today travel along sea ice on dog sleds and snowmobiles. The environment information suggest conditions along the seaside path may have been favorable to migration between 24,500-22,000 years earlier and 16,400-14,800 years earlier, perhaps helped by the existence of winter season sea ice.Integrating New and Old TheoriesWhile proving that people were using sea ice to travel will be challenging given most of the archeological sites are undersea, the idea supplies a brand-new structure for understanding how humans might have shown up in North America without a land bridge or simple ocean travel.And the sea ice highway isnt mutually exclusive with other human migrations further down the line, Praetorius said.

These early Americans most likely taken a trip along the Pacific coastline from Beringia, the land bridge in between Asia and North America that emerged throughout the last glacial maximum when ice sheets bound up large quantities of water, triggering sea levels to fall.Now, in research study that was presented Friday, December 15, at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting (AGU23) in San Franciso, paleoclimate reconstructions of the Pacific Northwest hint that sea ice may have been one way for people to move farther south.Coastal Migration TheoriesThe idea that early Americans might have taken a trip along the Pacific Coast isnt new. As a cold-adapted people, “rather than having to paddle versus this horrible glacial existing, possibly they were utilizing the sea ice as a platform,” Praetorius said.Sea Ice as a Migration PathArctic people today travel along sea ice on pet dog sleds and snowmobiles. The environment information suggest conditions along the coastal path might have been favorable to migration between 24,500-22,000 years back and 16,400-14,800 years earlier, possibly aided by the presence of winter season sea ice.Integrating New and Old TheoriesWhile showing that individuals were utilizing sea ice to take a trip will be challenging given many of the archeological sites are underwater, the idea provides a brand-new framework for comprehending how people might have arrived in North America without a land bridge or simple ocean travel.And the sea ice highway isnt mutually unique with other human migrations further down the line, Praetorius said.