The discovery of a 10,000-year-old skeleton in an underwater cave in Mexico provides new evidence humans did not first arrive in the Americas as a single population as “traditional” theory holds, but came from various areas, researchers claim.
The well-preserved remains belonged to a 30-year-old Paleoindian woman and were found in a cave called Chan Hol near the city of Tulum on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
Researchers said the find suggests multiple groups of early settlers were arriving “from different geographical points of origin”.
The skeleton has been named Chan Hol 3 and scientists say the shape and structure of the skull is different to other skeletons found and which come from a similar time period, indicating at “least two morphologically different Paleoindian populations”.
Paleoindians were the first peoples to arrive, and subsequently inhabit, the Americas.
1/16 Triceratops
A ceratopsian, meaning ‘horned face’, the triceratops lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton was found in Montana, USA and is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany
Christian Voigt / SWNS
2/16 Tyrannosaurus rex
This large carnivore lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton, known as Tristan Otto, is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History and is one of the best preserved T-rex skeletons in the world. Of the 300 bones that make up the display, 170 are genuine fossils
Christian Voigt / SWNS
3/16 Stegosaurus
This armoured herbivore lived between 155-145 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. This fossil was found in Bone Cabin Quarry in Wyoming, USA and is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany
Christian Voigt / SWNS
4/16 Triceratops
A ceratopsian, meaning ‘horned face’, the triceratops lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton was found in Montana, USA and is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany
Christian Voigt / SWNS
5/16 Pterodactyl
The most well-known of the pterosaurs lived between 150-148 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. The pictured skeleton is the largest ever found and is on display at the Altmuhltal Museum in Germany
Christian Voigt / SWNS
6/16 Tyrannosaurus rex
This large carnivore lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton, known as Tristan Otto, is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History and is one of the best preserved T-rex skeletons in the world. Of the 300 bones that make up the display, 170 are genuine fossils
Christian Voigt / SWNS
7/16 Sabre-toothed tiger
Known officially as a smilodon, the sabre-toothed tiger was a dominant predator between 2.5 million – 10,000 years ago in the Pleistocene era. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany
Christian Voigt / SWNS
8/16 Elaphrosaurus
The ‘fleet lizard’ lived between 154-151 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. This skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History
Christian Voigt / SWNS
9/16 Mastodon
The American mastodon lived between around 5 million – 10,000 years ago. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History
Christian Voigt / SWNS
10/16 Gomphotherium
This prehistoric elephant lived between 15 and 5 million years ago. The Gomphotherium is remarkably similar to an elephant, with the most obvious difference being the lower tusk that protruded from the bottom jaw of this beast. This particular skeleton is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany
Christian Voigt / SWNS
11/16 Kentrosaurus
This armoured herbivore lived between 155-150 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History
Christian Voigt / SWNS
12/16 Tyrannosaurus rex
This large carnivore lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton, known as Tristan Otto, is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History and is one of the best preserved T-rex skeletons in the world. Of the 300 bones that make up the display, 170 are genuine fossils
Christian Voigt / SWNS
13/16 Dysalotosaurus
This herbivore lived around 152 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History
Christian Voigt / SWNS
14/16 Mantellisaurus
This herbivore lived around 152 million years ago in the early Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Natural History Museum in London
Christian Voigt / SWNS
15/16 Stygimoloch
It’s name meaning ‘devil from hell’, the stygimoloch lived around 66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History
Christian Voigt / SWNS
16/16 Euoplocephalus
This herbivore lived between 76-70 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. This particular skeleton – on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany – was found in Alberta, Canada, which is also where the first Euoplocephalus fossil was found in 1897
Christian Voigt / SWNS
1/16 Triceratops
A ceratopsian, meaning ‘horned face’, the triceratops lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton was found in Montana, USA and is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany
Christian Voigt / SWNS
2/16 Tyrannosaurus rex
This large carnivore lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton, known as Tristan Otto, is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History and is one of the best preserved T-rex skeletons in the world. Of the 300 bones that make up the display, 170 are genuine fossils
Christian Voigt / SWNS
3/16 Stegosaurus
This armoured herbivore lived between 155-145 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. This fossil was found in Bone Cabin Quarry in Wyoming, USA and is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany
Christian Voigt / SWNS
4/16 Triceratops
A ceratopsian, meaning ‘horned face’, the triceratops lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton was found in Montana, USA and is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany
Christian Voigt / SWNS
5/16 Pterodactyl
The most well-known of the pterosaurs lived between 150-148 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. The pictured skeleton is the largest ever found and is on display at the Altmuhltal Museum in Germany
Christian Voigt / SWNS
6/16 Tyrannosaurus rex
This large carnivore lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton, known as Tristan Otto, is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History and is one of the best preserved T-rex skeletons in the world. Of the 300 bones that make up the display, 170 are genuine fossils
Christian Voigt / SWNS
7/16 Sabre-toothed tiger
Known officially as a smilodon, the sabre-toothed tiger was a dominant predator between 2.5 million – 10,000 years ago in the Pleistocene era. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany
Christian Voigt / SWNS
8/16 Elaphrosaurus
The ‘fleet lizard’ lived between 154-151 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. This skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History
Christian Voigt / SWNS
9/16 Mastodon
The American mastodon lived between around 5 million – 10,000 years ago. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History
Christian Voigt / SWNS
10/16 Gomphotherium
This prehistoric elephant lived between 15 and 5 million years ago. The Gomphotherium is remarkably similar to an elephant, with the most obvious difference being the lower tusk that protruded from the bottom jaw of this beast. This particular skeleton is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany
Christian Voigt / SWNS
11/16 Kentrosaurus
This armoured herbivore lived between 155-150 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History
Christian Voigt / SWNS
12/16 Tyrannosaurus rex
This large carnivore lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton, known as Tristan Otto, is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History and is one of the best preserved T-rex skeletons in the world. Of the 300 bones that make up the display, 170 are genuine fossils
Christian Voigt / SWNS
13/16 Dysalotosaurus
This herbivore lived around 152 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History
Christian Voigt / SWNS
14/16 Mantellisaurus
This herbivore lived around 152 million years ago in the early Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Natural History Museum in London
Christian Voigt / SWNS
15/16 Stygimoloch
It’s name meaning ‘devil from hell’, the stygimoloch lived around 66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History
Christian Voigt / SWNS
16/16 Euoplocephalus
This herbivore lived between 76-70 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. This particular skeleton – on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany – was found in Alberta, Canada, which is also where the first Euoplocephalus fossil was found in 1897
Christian Voigt / SWNS
It is believed they journeyed across an ancient land bridge connecting Asia to North America, known as Beringia, during the last Ice Age more than 12,000 years ago, before migrating to the Patagonian region in South America.
Dr Silvia Gonzalez, a professor of quaternary geology and geoarchaeology at Liverpool John Moores University, and one of the study authors, told the PA news agency: “The new results are important because they question the ‘traditional model’ for the peopling of the Americas with one single and homogeneous Paleoindian population migrating very fast from Beringia to Patagonia after 12,000 years ago.
“Our results indicate that at least two morphologically different Paleoindian populations were coexisting in Mexico between 12,000 to 8,000 years ago, one in Central Mexico and the other in the Yucatan Peninsula.
The team, led by Professor Wolfgang Stinnesbeck, an earth scientist at Heidelberg University, dated the skeletal remains using mineral deposits called flowstone which covered some finger bones.
They believe Chan Hol 3 to be at least 9,900 years old, if not older.
Structural analysis revealed Chan Hol 3 had a round head with broad cheekbones and a flat forehead, resembling three other skulls from the Tulum caves.
But according to the researchers, her cranial characteristics are different to the long-headed Paleoindian skeletons found in the region.
Dr Gonzalez said: “The Tulum skeletons may indicate that either more than one group of humans originally reached the American continent from different geographical points of origin, or that there was sufficient time for a small group of early settlers living in isolation on the Yucatan Peninsula, to develop a different skull morphology.
“In either case, the early settlement history of the Americas appears to be more complicated and may date back thousands of years earlier than commonly believed, according to the new human morphology data.”
The findings are described in the journal PloS One.
Additional reporting by PA