Recent research led by Oxford University suggests that the first Americans may have arrived as early as 30,000 years ago, predating previous estimates. This new timeline indicates that these early settlers came by sea, not land, due to the ice sheets blocking northern routes until about 13,000 years ago.
The study also links human expansion to the decline of large megafauna in the Americas. This groundbreaking discovery prompts further questions about the origins, lifestyle, and fate of these early inhabitants.