Oldest human footprints in North America found in New Mexico
Washington(AP): Fossilised footprints discovered in New Mexico indicate that early humans were walking across North America around 23,000 years ago, researchers reported Thursday.
The footprints were found in a dry lake bed in White Sands National Park, first spotted in 2009 by a park manager. Scientists at the US Geological Survey recently analysed seeds stuck in the footprints to determine their approximate age, ranging from around 22,800 and 21,130 years ago.
Most scientists believe ancient migration came by way of a now-submerged land bridge that connected Asia to Alaska. Based on various evidence including stone tools, fossil bones and genetic analysis other researchers have offered a range of possible dates for human arrival in the Americas, from 13,000 to 26,000 years ago or more.
The current study provides a more solid baseline for when humans definitely were in North America, although they could have arrived even earlier, the authors say. Fossil footprints are more indisputable and direct evidence than cultural artifacts, modified bones, or other more conventional fossils, they wrote.
What we present here is evidence of a firm time and location, they said.
Based on the size of the footprints, researchers believe that at least some were made by children and teenagers who lived during the last ice age.
The research was published Thursday in the journal Science.
Earlier excavations in White Sands National Park have uncovered fossilized tracks left by a saber-toothed cat, dire wolf, Columbian mammoth and other ice age animals.
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EAM Jaishankar to make statement in LS on situation in West Asia
New Delhi (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will make a statement in the Lok Sabha regarding the situation in West Asia on Monday.
The second half of the Budget session of Parliament will begin on Monday.
According to the revised list of business of the Lok Sabha for March 9 circulated on Sunday evening, "Dr S Jaishankar to make a statement regarding the situation in West Asia."
Till Saturday, the opposition-backed resolution seeking removal of Om Birla as the Lok Sabha speaker was the only listed official agenda for Monday.
The opposition has demanded a discussion on the situation in West Asia in the House.
India is continuously monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia, especially in the context of the safety of its citizens stranded in the region.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said more than 52,000 Indians have returned to the country following the partial opening of the airspace across the region.
The security situation in West Asia remains precarious as the US and Israel continue their bombardment of Iranian targets while Tehran retaliates with strikes against Israeli positions and US military bases across the region.
