New Mexico Desert Captures Evidence of Sloth Hunt
A desert in the American Southwest provides evidence of a hunt from long ago.
Scientists found footprints from a hunt involving ancient human beings and a large prehistoric sloth. They discovered the footprints in what is now the White Sands National Monument in the state of New Mexico.
The discovery is extremely rare. The researchers say it could change scientists’ understanding of how ancient humans interacted with large animals. It also may show whether our ancestors were responsible for the disappearance of the giant ground sloth.
Footprints in footprints
The researchers found more than 100 footprints dating back between 10,000 and 15,000 years. They were found among particles of gypsum, a soft mineral, in the desert.
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