Did Ancient Humans Take a "Kelp Highway" to America 24,000 Years Ago?

For decades, the Clovis culture, dating back around 13,500 years, has been seen as the definitive starting point for human habitation in the Americas. But new research suggests a far more ancient arrival, potentially shaking up the entire timeline of human migration.

Scientists have proposed the intriguing hypothesis of a "kelp highway" – a corridor of pack ice and kelp forests that may have existed along the Bering Land Bridge 24,000 years ago. This icy path, hugging the coastline, could have offered early humans a sheltered and resource-rich route into the New World, thousands of years before the Clovis culture emerged.

The evidence for this "kelp highway" comes from a combination of geological data and computer modeling. Researchers analyzed sediment cores and fossilized marine life from the Bering Sea, piecing together a picture of environmental conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum. Their findings suggest the presence of extensive sea ice along the coast, creating a natural corridor protected from open ocean waves and storms.

This icy path wouldn't have been a cakewalk, of course. Temperatures would have been frigid, and navigating the ice floes would have required significant skill and ingenuity. But compared to the harsh open ocean, the "kelp highway" may have offered a safer and more reliable route for early humans traveling with rudimentary boats and technology.

The hypothesis also finds support in genetic studies, which suggest that some Native American populations may have a deeper ancestry than previously thought. If humans arrived in the Americas 24,000 years ago, it would mean they co-existed with now-extinct megafauna like mammoths and giant ground sloths, adding a fascinating new chapter to the continent's prehistory.

Of course, the "kelp highway" hypothesis is still in its early stages. More research is needed to confirm the existence of this icy path and its potential role in human migration. But the idea offers a tantalizing glimpse into a much earlier chapter in the peopling of the Americas, one where daring voyagers braved a frozen world to reach a new continent.