Comment on North American Pacific Coastal Migration Theory and the Last Glacial Maximum Age of Human Tracks at White Sands, New Mexico

The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) age of the White Sands Locality 2 archaeological site in southern New Mexico has redefined the peopling of the Americas. The earliest archaeological sites in North America south of Beringia ranged in age from ∼16,000 to ∼14,500 years ago. This timing followed the LGM and allowed for human migrations along the Pacific coast unimpeded by substantial glacial ice barriers. Radiocarbon dates of ∼23,000–20,700 calibrated years before present (cal yr BP) for human trackways at White Sands Locality 2 indicate a presence requiring much earlier migration south and prompting a reconsideration of when a Pacific coastal route was unglaciated.