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From: erik simpson <eastside.erik@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: sci.anthropology.paleo
Subject: 33000 new world humans? (tentative)
Date: Sun, 6 Jul 2025 08:52:14 -0700
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https://sjpp.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13358-025-00379-0

An indentation in a 33,000-year-old right calcaneus of the ground sloth 
Lestodon (Xenarthra, Folivora) from Uruguay and its possible human agency

Abstract

Several sites in the Americas are proposed to have evidence of human 
occupation before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The timing of human 
colonisation of the Americas is a matter of debate due to its intrinsic 
interest, but also because of the implications of that arrival for the 
extinction of the megafauna. Here, we study a notable indentation in the 
right calcaneus of a giant extinct ground sloth Lestodon armatus from 
the Arroyo del Vizcaíno site, Uruguay, dated to ~ 33 cal kyBP. We use a 
combination of 3D CT-scan modelling, high-resolution silicone casting, 
and microscopic wear and residue analysis to describe the morphology of 
the lesion, its associated residues, and the possible mechanisms behind 
its formation. Considering the indentation’s features, including its 
shape, depth, and the presence of organic residues, we argue that it 
could have been created by a penetrating object with a rounded tip, 
possibly a bone, ivory or hardened wood tip attached to a shaft. This 
evidence contributes to discussions on the dates of human arrival in 
South America and the potential interactions with the megafauna.