Earliest Human Presence in North America Dated to the Last Glacial Maximum: New Radiocarbon Dates from Bluefish Caves, Canada

In the paper

“They also suggest that dispersing groups reached Beringia during the LGM (dated to ca. 18,000–24,000 cal BP) where they were genetically isolated for up to 8,000 years before moving south of the ice-sheets into North America [3–11].”

What the sources say

• Partly supported

  The Discussion (page unavailable) supports genetic isolation in Beringia followed by rapid migration into the Americas. It suggests isolation might have lasted up to 15,000 years, not the claimed 8,000; the Introduction places arrival in Beringia before the Last Glacial Maximum rather than during it. (LLM, conf=0.88)

  cites [3] E Tamm, 2007, Beringian standstill and spread of Native American founders, PLoS One sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Disputed

  The Discussion proposes a Beringian occupation from approximately 36,000 to 16,000 years ago—about 20,000 years—not arrival during the LGM followed by isolation for up to 8,000 years. It does support later movement south into North America as the ice sheets retreated, but its proposed chronology conflicts with the claim. (LLM, conf=0.87)

  Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.

  cites [4] A Kitchen, 2008, A three-stage colonization model for the peopling of the Americas, PLoS One sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Partly supported

  The Discussion proposes prolonged genetic isolation in Beringia followed by expansion into the Americas around 16,000 years ago; the Results link entry to the retreat of the North American ice sheets. But the Discussion gives the isolation period as at least 7,000–15,000 years, not up to 8,000 years, and proposes Beringian occupation from about 30,000–16,000 years ago rather than dating arrival there specifically to the LGM. (LLM, conf=0.88)

  cites [5] CJ Mulligan, 2008, Updated three-stage model for the peopling of the Americas, PLoS One sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Partly supported

  The Discussion (page unavailable) describes many millennia of isolation, identifies Beringia as the best candidate location, and places expansion south of the ice sheets near the end of the LGM. It does not establish an isolation period of up to 8,000 years, and says the precise location of that isolation cannot be determined. (LLM, conf=0.85)

  cites [6] NJ Fagundes, 2008, Mitochondrial population genomics supports a single pre-Clovis origin with a coastal route for the peopling of the Americas, The American Journal of Human Genetics sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Partly supported

  The Abstract says ancestral populations probably occupied Beringian refugia during the Ice Age, and describes a later migration from Beringia into the Americas. It does not give an isolation period of up to 8,000 years; it also describes admixture with groups arriving from west of Beringia, rather than complete genetic isolation. (LLM, conf=0.85)

  cites [7] A Achilli, 2013, Reconciling migration models to the Americas with the variation of North American native mitogenomes, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Supported

  The Text section describes genetic isolation in Beringia before southward dispersal and reports an estimate that it lasted no longer than 8,000 years. The Discussion likewise describes dispersal from interior Beringia into North America. Page numbers are not supplied in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.90)

  cites [8] JC Tackney, 2015, Two contemporaneous mitogenomes from terminal Pleistocene burials in eastern Beringia, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences source
• Supported

  The Abstract states that ancestral Native Americans entered the Americas no earlier than 23 KYA, after no more than 8,000 years of isolation in Beringia. The Discussion qualifies the geographic inference: the authors say they cannot determine whether a shorter isolation period occurred in Siberia or Beringia. The citing sentence’s “suggest” is consistent with that uncertainty. (LLM, conf=0.85)

  cites [9] M Raghavan, 2015, Genomic evidence for the Pleistocene and recent population history of Native Americans, Science source
• Partly supported

  The Results and Discussion section, “The Beringian Standstill,” estimates isolation before entry into the Americas at approximately 2,400 to 9,000 years, rather than setting an 8,000-year upper limit. The “Eastern Beringia as a sustainable refugium” section supports isolation there as a plausible scenario, but says the data cannot determine whether separation from Siberian populations occurred in Siberia or Beringia. (LLM, conf=0.88)

  cites [10] B Llamas, 2016, Ancient mitochondrial DNA provides high-resolution time scale of the peopling of the Americas, Science advances sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [11] GR Scott, 2016, Sinodonty, Sundadonty, and the Beringian Standstill model: Issues of timing and migrations into the New World, Quaternary International source

In the paper

“They also suggest that dispersing groups reached Beringia during the LGM (dated to ca. 18,000–24,000 cal BP) where they were genetically isolated for up to 8,000 years before moving south of the ice-sheets into North America [3–11].”

What the sources say

• Disputed

  The Introduction (page unavailable) describes the Beringian incubation scenario as reaching Beringia before the Last Glacial Maximum, not during it. The Discussion supports a subsequent period of isolation but does not date arrival to 18,000–24,000 cal BP. (LLM, conf=0.87)

  Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.

  cites [3] E Tamm, 2007, Beringian standstill and spread of Native American founders, PLoS One sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Partly supported

  The Discussion proposes a Beringian population from about 36,000 to 16,000 years ago, which includes the Last Glacial Maximum. It does not date the groups’ arrival in Beringia to 18,000–24,000 cal BP; its proposed occupation began earlier. The Figure 4 caption dates the Last Glacial Maximum to about 20,000–18,000 years ago, but does not identify that as the arrival date. (LLM, conf=0.88)

  cites [4] A Kitchen, 2008, A three-stage colonization model for the peopling of the Americas, PLoS One sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Partly supported

  The Discussion proposes occupation of Beringia from about 30,000 to 16,000 years ago, which includes the claimed 18,000–24,000-year interval. It does not say that the groups first reached Beringia during that interval; it suggests they may have been there earlier. (LLM, conf=0.85)

  cites [5] CJ Mulligan, 2008, Updated three-stage model for the peopling of the Americas, PLoS One sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Partly supported

  The Discussion identifies Beringia as the best candidate location for the founding population during a bottleneck around 20 kya, within the claimed range. It does not date the groups’ arrival in Beringia to 18,000–24,000 cal BP; it says their divergence from Asian ancestors probably began before the LGM and that their location during the longer isolation is uncertain. (LLM, conf=0.86)

  cites [6] NJ Fagundes, 2008, Mitochondrial population genomics supports a single pre-Clovis origin with a coastal route for the peopling of the Americas, The American Journal of Human Genetics sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Disputed

  The Abstract says the ancestral groups peopled northeast Siberia, including parts of Beringia, before the Last Glacial Maximum, not during it. It says Beringian populations probably retreated into refugia during the Ice Age; it does not give the claimed 18,000–24,000 cal BP arrival date. (LLM, conf=0.86)

  Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.

  cites [7] A Achilli, 2013, Reconciling migration models to the Americas with the variation of North American native mitogenomes, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Partly supported

  The Text section describes a proposed period of genetic isolation in Beringia beginning no earlier than 23 kya, which is consistent with arrival during part of the claimed interval. It does not date arrival to 18,000–24,000 cal BP; the same section says the archaeological record supports expansion from Siberia to Beringia after 16 kya. (LLM, conf=0.83)

  cites [8] JC Tackney, 2015, Two contemporaneous mitogenomes from terminal Pleistocene burials in eastern Beringia, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Partly supported

  The Discussion dates the divergence of ancestral Native Americans from East Asians to the Last Glacial Maximum, no earlier than 23 KYA, supporting the broad timing. But it says the data cannot establish the precise geographical context: a possible period of isolation could have occurred in Siberia or Beringia. The paper therefore does not establish that the groups reached Beringia during the LGM. (LLM, conf=0.86)

  cites [9] M Raghavan, 2015, Genomic evidence for the Pleistocene and recent population history of Native Americans, Science sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Partly supported

  The Results and Discussion section on an eastern Beringian refugium says the founding population may have used Beringia during the height of the Last Glacial Maximum. It dates the start of genetic isolation to 24.9–18.4 thousand years ago, but explicitly says the data cannot determine whether separation occurred in Siberia or Beringia; it does not establish when the groups reached Beringia. (LLM, conf=0.83)

  cites [10] B Llamas, 2016, Ancient mitochondrial DNA provides high-resolution time scale of the peopling of the Americas, Science advances sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [11] GR Scott, 2016, Sinodonty, Sundadonty, and the Beringian Standstill model: Issues of timing and migrations into the New World, Quaternary International source

In the paper

“It is now more widely recognized that the first inhabitants of Beringia probably dispersed along a Pacific coastal route, possibly as early as ca. 16,000 cal BP, and settled south of the ice sheets before the ice-free corridor became a viable route [3–12,77–79].”

What the sources say

• Partly supported

  The Discussion (page not available) says the ancestors of Native Americans paused in Beringia and then migrated swiftly across the Americas. The Introduction discusses entry around 15,000 years before present, but the paper does not specify a Pacific coastal route, a date of ca. 16,000 cal BP, or settlement south of the ice sheets before the ice-free corridor became viable. (LLM, conf=0.88)

  cites [3] E Tamm, 2007, Beringian standstill and spread of Native American founders, PLoS One sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Partly supported

  The Discussion describes a Pacific coastal route as viable by about 17,000 years ago and dates rapid expansion into the Americas to roughly 16,000–9,000 years ago. It does not identify the coastal route as the probable route; it says an inland route may have been preferred and places rapid expansion after an ice-free corridor opened. The claimed settlement south of the ice sheets before that corridor became viable is therefore not supported by this source. (LLM, conf=0.86)

  cites [4] A Kitchen, 2008, A three-stage colonization model for the peopling of the Americas, PLoS One sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Disputed

  The Discussion proposes occupation of Beringia until approximately 16 kya, but the Results say entry into the New World was coincident with the opening of the ice-free corridor, not before it became viable. The paper does not propose a Pacific coastal route in the passages found; that phrase appears only in a cited work’s title in the References. No page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

  Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.

  cites [5] CJ Mulligan, 2008, Updated three-stage model for the peopling of the Americas, PLoS One sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Supported

  The Discussion estimates that the founding population expanded south of Beringia between approximately 19–18 and 16–15 kya. It says this preceded the opening of the ice-free corridor, dated no earlier than approximately 14 kya, and that the expansion most likely followed the western coast of North America. Page numbers are not supplied in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.91)

  cites [6] NJ Fagundes, 2008, Mitochondrial population genomics supports a single pre-Clovis origin with a coastal route for the peopling of the Americas, The American Journal of Human Genetics source
• Partly supported

  The Abstract identifies a first migration wave from Beringia along the Pacific coastal route, and the Discussion places the coastal spread before or alongside a possible inland migration. The Discussion gives a 15–18 ka range for mitochondrial founders, but does not date the coastal dispersal to about 16,000 cal BP or establish that people settled south of the ice sheets before the ice-free corridor became viable. (LLM, conf=0.86)

  cites [7] A Achilli, 2013, Reconciling migration models to the Americas with the variation of North American native mitogenomes, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Disputed

  The Discussion says the initial southward movement was from interior Beringia, followed shortly by dispersal along the Pacific coast—the reverse of the claim’s coastal-first account. It places southward dispersal sometime before 14–16 kya but does not establish that settlement south of the ice sheets preceded a viable ice-free corridor. No page number is available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.83)

  Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.

  cites [8] JC Tackney, 2015, Two contemporaneous mitogenomes from terminal Pleistocene burials in eastern Beringia, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Partly supported

  The section on initial divergence says the first migration likely followed a coastal route. The Discussion dates a habitable coastal route to about 16 KYA and an interior corridor to about 14 KYA, but it does not date the dispersal itself to 16 KYA. Its evidence for people south of the ice sheets by 14.6 KYA also does not establish that they settled there before the interior corridor became viable. (LLM, conf=0.86)

  cites [9] M Raghavan, 2015, Genomic evidence for the Pleistocene and recent population history of Native Americans, Science sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Supported

  In “The Beringian Standstill,” the paper interprets a population increase beginning around 16.0 ka as initial entry into the Americas. In “A coastal entry route,” it places that expansion along the northwest Pacific coast and explicitly says it predates the opening of the inland ice-free corridor around 11.5–11.0 ka. (LLM, conf=0.91)

  cites [10] B Llamas, 2016, Ancient mitochondrial DNA provides high-resolution time scale of the peopling of the Americas, Science advances source
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [11] GR Scott, 2016, Sinodonty, Sundadonty, and the Beringian Standstill model: Issues of timing and migrations into the New World, Quaternary International source
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [12] JF Hoffecker, 2016, Beringia and the global dispersal of modern humans, Evolutionary Anthropology source

In the paper

“The size of the standstill population is thought to have increased after the LGM, leading to renewed dispersals into the Americas [4–6, 10].”

What the sources say

• Not checked yet

  Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

  cites [4] A Kitchen, 2008, A three-stage colonization model for the peopling of the Americas, PLoS One source
• Not checked yet

  Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

  cites [5] CJ Mulligan, 2008, Updated three-stage model for the peopling of the Americas, PLoS One source
• Partly supported

  The Results describe rapid population growth following a reduction during the LGM, and the Discussion associates that growth with expansion south of Beringia. The paper dates the growth to approximately 19–18 to 16–15 thousand years ago—beginning toward the end of the LGM, rather than wholly after it. (LLM, conf=0.88)

  cites [6] NJ Fagundes, 2008, Mitochondrial population genomics supports a single pre-Clovis origin with a coastal route for the peopling of the Americas, The American Journal of Human Genetics sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Not checked yet

  Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

  cites [10] B Llamas, 2016, Ancient mitochondrial DNA provides high-resolution time scale of the peopling of the Americas, Science advances source

In the paper

“The climatic context of a site is also important because weathering and freeze-thaw cycles can lead to cracks and desquamation of bone surfaces [53–55], potentially removing or altering traces of cultural activities.”

What the sources say

• Partly supported

  The Bone Weathering Stages section describes cracking and flaking (desquamation), including loss of the outermost bone surface. The Processes of Weathering section discusses heating and cooling and wetting and drying, but does not identify freeze-thaw cycles; the copy also does not specifically say that weathering removes or alters traces of cultural activity. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

  cites [53] AK Behrensmeyer, 1978, Taphonomic and ecologic information from bone weathering, Paleobiology sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• Partly supported

  The Discussion (page unavailable) says freeze–thaw and wet–dry cycles may promote cracking, and describes weathering-related exfoliation, delamination, and loss of the cortical surface. The paper also identifies cut marks and tool-making marks, but it does not say that weathering removed or altered those cultural traces. It reports that freeze–thaw cycles played a limited role in weathering most Tayara bones. (LLM, conf=0.83)

  cites [54] D Todisco, 2008, Bone weathering in a periglacial environment: the Tayara site (KbFk-7), Qikirtaq Island, Nunavik (Canada), Arctic sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [55] JL Guadelli, 2008, La gélifraction des restes fauniques. Expérimentation et transfert au fossile, Annales de Paléontologie source

In the paper

“In Cave II, however, the extent of root etching on the bone surfaces was very high and will have affected the preservation of cut marks: root etching was recorded on 70% of the bone material in this cavity and affected more than half of the surface in 27% of cases.”

In the paper

“The results range from 10,490 ± 55 14C BP to 19,650 ± 130 14C BP, i.e., between 12,000 and 24,000 cal BP, and are consistent with previously reported dates for Bluefish Caves (Table 1) [23–27, 35].”

In the paper

“We recorded a total of fifteen bone samples with cultural modifications confidently attributable to human activities (N = 10 in Cave I and N = 5 in Cave II), based on morphological and morphometrical criteria, and twenty more samples with “probable” cultural modifications for a total of less than 1% of the faunal remains.”

In the paper

“A total of 36,000 mammal bones from Caves I and II were analysed for this research.”

In the paper

“The effects of weathering and cryoturbation were observed in both caves but didn’t alter the bone surfaces significantly [39].”

What the sources say

• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [39] L Bourgeon, 2015, Bluefish Cave II (Yukon Territory, Canada): taphonomic study of a bone assemblage, PaleoAmerica source

In the paper

“Our taphonomic analysis indicates that wolves, lions and, to a lesser degree, foxes were the main agents of bone accumulation and modification, but that humans also contributed to the bone accumulations in both caves, partially confirming earlier taphonomic studies [26, 39].”

What the sources say

• Not checked yetcites [26] RE Morlan, 1982, Paleoecology of Beringia New York
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [39] L Bourgeon, 2015, Bluefish Cave II (Yukon Territory, Canada): taphonomic study of a bone assemblage, PaleoAmerica source

In the paper

“A horse humerus (J7.1.1), a horse metatarsal (K8.1.13) and a caribou metacarpal (K8.1.27) bear straight, V-shaped cut marks on the shaft (no more than two on each bone)”

In the paper

“Rodent gnawing was minimally present, while carnivore tooth marks were observed on 38 to 56% of the bone material of Cave I and 14 to 32% of the material of Cave II.”

In the paper

“On the other hand, 57% of the bones in Cave I and only 18% in Cave II were abraded.”

In the paper

“Cut marks were observed on horse (Equus lambei) (Fig 1), caribou (Rangifer tarandus) (Fig 2), wapiti (Cervus elaphus), and possibly Dall sheep (Ovis dalli) and bison (Bison priscus), and include a previously published bird scapula [69].”

What the sources say

• ?Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  cites [69] McCuaig-Balkwill D, Cinq-Mars J. Migratory birds from Bluefish Caves, Eastern Beringia. 8th International Congress of the International Council for Archaeozoology Final Program and Abstracts; August 23–29, Victoria, B.C.1998. p. 9.

In the paper

“Rockfall can also modify bone, producing striations and patterns of bone breakage [41–44].”

What the sources say

• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [41] JW Fisher, 1995, Bone surface modifications in zooarchaeology, Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory source
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [42] RE Morlan, 1980, Taphonomy and archaeology in the Upper Pleistocene of the Northern Yukon Territory: A glimpse of the peopling of the New World source
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [43] SL Olsen, 1988, Surface modification on bone: trampling versus butchery, Journal of Archaeological Science source
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [44] M Domínguez-Rodrigo, 2009, A new protocol to differentiate trampling marks from butchery cut marks, Journal of Archaeological Science source

In the paper

“Recent genetic and palaeogenetic analyses [3–10], as well as dental morphological evidence [11], confirm that human populations migrating into North America originated in Siberia.”

What the sources say

• Not checked yet

  Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

  cites [3] E Tamm, 2007, Beringian standstill and spread of Native American founders, PLoS One source
• Not checked yet

  Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

  cites [4] A Kitchen, 2008, A three-stage colonization model for the peopling of the Americas, PLoS One source
• Not checked yet

  Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

  cites [5] CJ Mulligan, 2008, Updated three-stage model for the peopling of the Americas, PLoS One source
• Not checked yetcites [6] NJ Fagundes, 2008, Mitochondrial population genomics supports a single pre-Clovis origin with a coastal route for the peopling of the Americas, The American Journal of Human Genetics source
• Not checked yet

  Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

  cites [7] A Achilli, 2013, Reconciling migration models to the Americas with the variation of North American native mitogenomes, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences source
• Not checked yet

  Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

  cites [8] JC Tackney, 2015, Two contemporaneous mitogenomes from terminal Pleistocene burials in eastern Beringia, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences source
• Not checked yetcites [9] M Raghavan, 2015, Genomic evidence for the Pleistocene and recent population history of Native Americans, Science source
• Not checked yet

  Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

  cites [10] B Llamas, 2016, Ancient mitochondrial DNA provides high-resolution time scale of the peopling of the Americas, Science advances source
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [11] GR Scott, 2016, Sinodonty, Sundadonty, and the Beringian Standstill model: Issues of timing and migrations into the New World, Quaternary International source

In the paper

“Cryoclastic debris incorporated into the loess [23–27], however, may have abraded the bone surfaces.”

What the sources say

• Not checked yetcites [23] J Cinq-Mars, 1979, Bluefish Cave I: a late Pleistocene eastern Beringian cave deposit in the northern Yukon, Canadian Journal of Archaeology
• Not checked yetcites [24] J Cinq-Mars, 1990, La place des grottes du Poisson-Bleu dans le Préhistoire béringienne, Revista de Arqueología Americana
• Not checked yetcites [25] J Cinq-Mars, 1999, Ice Age Peoples of North America Environments, Origins, and Adaptations of the First Americans
• Not checked yetcites [26] RE Morlan, 1982, Paleoecology of Beringia New York
• Not checked yetcites [27] CR Harington, 2008, Bluefish Caves—Fauna and context, Beringian Research Notes

In the paper

“Human activity is not recorded again in Western Beringia until the post-LGM period, however, with occupations of two open-air sites, Berelekh and Ushki, dated to ca. 14–13,000 cal BP [16–18].”

What the sources say

• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [16] VV Pitulko, 2011, The Berelekh quest: A review of forty years of research in the mammoth graveyard in northeast Siberia, Geoarchaeology Review Paper source
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [17] VV Pitulko, 2014, The Berelekh Mammoth “Graveyard”: New Chronological and Stratigraphical Data from the 2009 Field Season, Geoarchaeology source
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [18] T Goebel, 2010, New dates from Ushki-1, Kamchatka, confirm 13,000 calBP age for earliest Paleolithic occupation, Journal of Archaeological Science source

In the paper

“While the artefacts cannot be dated with precision [24, 25, 29], they are typologically similar to the Dyuktai culture which appears in Eastern Siberia about 16–15,000 cal BP, or possibly earlier, ca. 22–20,000 cal BP [30].”

What the sources say

• ?Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  cites [30] Gomez-Coutouly YA. Industries lithiques à composante lamellaire par pression du Nord Pacifique de la fin du Pléistocène au début de l'Holocène: de la diffusion d'une technique en Extrême-Orient au peuplement initial du Nouveau Monde. Thèse de Doctorat, Université Paris Ouest, Nanterre La Défense; 2011.

In the paper

“The Yana River sites, in Siberia, demonstrate that modern human populations had reached Western Beringia by 32,000 cal BP [14, 15], i.e., well before the LGM.”

What the sources say

• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [14] VV Pitulko, 2004, The Yana RHS site: humans in the Arctic before the Last Glacial Maximum, Science source
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [15] P Nikolskiy, 2013, Evidence from the Yana Palaeolithic site, Arctic Siberia, yields clues to the riddle of mammoth hunting, Journal of Archaeological Science source

In the paper

“As previously stated, the faunal material from Bluefish Cave derives from loess, i.e., fine particles of aeolian silt which should not produce scratches on bones but can lead to polished surfaces [40, 41].”

What the sources say

• Not checked yetcites [40] P Shipman, 1988, Scanning electron microscopy in archaeology
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [41] JW Fisher, 1995, Bone surface modifications in zooarchaeology, Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory source

In the paper

“Palaeoenvironmental evidence, including evidence of herbaceous tundra vegetation [31, 32] and vertebrate fauna typical of Pleistocene deposits found elsewhere in Eastern Beringia [27, 33, 34], is consistent with previously obtained radiocarbon dates which suggest that the loess layer was deposited between 10,000 and 25,000 14C BP (radiocarbon years Before Present), i.e., between 11,000 and 30,000”

What the sources say

• Not checked yetcites [23] J Cinq-Mars, 1979, Bluefish Cave I: a late Pleistocene eastern Beringian cave deposit in the northern Yukon, Canadian Journal of Archaeology
• Not checked yetcites [24] J Cinq-Mars, 1990, La place des grottes du Poisson-Bleu dans le Préhistoire béringienne, Revista de Arqueología Americana
• Not checked yetcites [25] J Cinq-Mars, 1999, Ice Age Peoples of North America Environments, Origins, and Adaptations of the First Americans
• Not checked yetcites [26] RE Morlan, 1982, Paleoecology of Beringia New York
• Not checked yetcites [27] CR Harington, 2008, Bluefish Caves—Fauna and context, Beringian Research Notes
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [35] A Burke, 1998, Paleoethological Reconstruction and Taphonomy of Equus lambei from the Bluefish Caves, Yukon Territory, Canada, Arctic source

In the paper

“while the Yana River sites indicate a human presence in Western Beringia ca. 32,000 cal BP [14, 15]”

What the sources say

• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [14] VV Pitulko, 2004, The Yana RHS site: humans in the Arctic before the Last Glacial Maximum, Science source
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [15] P Nikolskiy, 2013, Evidence from the Yana Palaeolithic site, Arctic Siberia, yields clues to the riddle of mammoth hunting, Journal of Archaeological Science source

In the paper

“By around 15–14,000 cal BP an ice-free corridor formed between the Laurentide and Cordilleran ice sheets potentially allowing humans to disperse from Beringia to continental North America”

What the sources say

• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [77] CAS Mandryk, 2001, Late Quaternary paleoenvironments of Northwestern North America: implications for inland versus coastal migration routes, Quaternary Science Reviews source
• Not checked yetcites [78] MW Perdersen, 2016, Postglacial viability and colonization in North America's ice-free corridor, Nature
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [79] PD Heintzman, 2016, Bison phylogeography constrains dispersal and viability of the Ice Free Corridor in western Canada, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences source

In the paper

“The specimen couldn’t be taxonomically identified”

In the paper

“Thus, they differ from the open-air sites of the Tanana valley in interior Alaska and the Little John site in the Yukon Territory, where hearth features, large lithic collections, bone tools and animal butchery have been identified, reflecting different cultural activities and a relatively longer-term, seasonal occupation [19–22].”

What the sources say

• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [19] DR Yesner, 2001, Human dispersal into interior Alaska: antecedent conditions, mode of colonization, and adaptations, Quaternary Science Reviews source
• Not checked yetcites [20] CE Holmes, 2011, From the Yenisei to the Yukon: Interpreting lithic assemblage variability in Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene Beringia
• Not checked yetcites [21] BA Potter, 2013, Paleoamerican Odyssey
• Not checked yetcites [22] NA Easton, 2011, From the Yenisei to the Yukon: Interpreting Lithic Assemblage Variability in Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene Beringia

In the paper

“While some prey species became extinct by ca. 14,000 cal BP (e.g. horse) [80]”

What the sources say

• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [80] RD Guthrie, 2006, New carbon dates link climatic change with human colonization and Pleistocene extinctions, Nature source

In the paper

“The caves were probably used as den sites for Ursids in winter and Canids in spring and summer.”

In the paper

“In summary, in order for a bone modification to be identified as a cut mark in this study, all of the above criteria had to be met. If one of the criteria couldn’t be confidently assessed, the mark was consigned to a “probable” category of human bone modification.”

In the paper

“The traces identified on these bones are clearly not the result of climato-edaphic factors or carnivore activity.”

In the paper

“Carnivore teeth produce traces with characteristically “U” shaped profiles when viewed in cross-section and which are wider and shallower than cut marks, making them easily distinguishable from human modifications (see below) [44, 51, 52].”

What the sources say

• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [44] M Domínguez-Rodrigo, 2009, A new protocol to differentiate trampling marks from butchery cut marks, Journal of Archaeological Science source
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [51] M Domínguez-Rodrigo, 2006, New estimates of tooth mark and percussion mark frequencies at the FLK Zinj site: the carnivore-hominid-carnivore hypothesis falsified, Journal of Human Evolution source
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [52] R Duches, 2016, Identification of Late Epigravettian hunting injuries: Descriptive and 3D analysis of experimental projectile impact marks on bone, Journal of Archaeological Science source

In the paper

“Anatomical location and orientation: the anatomical location and orientation of cultural bone modifications must be consistent with the marks produced by specific butchery tasks described in the literature [48, 60–62]; marks produced by natural processes, however, will not reflect any predetermined intention [43].”

What the sources say

• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [48] LR Binford, 1981, Bones. Ancient men and modern myths
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [60] J Wheat, 1979, The Jurgens Site, Plains Anthropologist source
• ?Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  cites [61] Abe Y. Hunting and butchery patterns of the Evenki in Northern Transbaikalia, Russia. Ph.D. Thesis, New-York: Stony Brook University; 2005.
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [62] S Costamagno, 2009, Comparaison des pratiques bouchères et culinaires de différents groupes sibériens vivant de la renniculture, Archaeofauna

In the paper

“The bone surface is a bit weathered and altered by root etching but the cut marks are well preserved; they are located on the medial side, under the third and second molars, and are associated with the removal of the tongue using a stone tool [48].”

What the sources say

• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [48] LR Binford, 1981, Bones. Ancient men and modern myths

In the paper

“All bones were well preserved in terms of collagen and had C:N atomic ratios of 3.2, as expected for intact collagen.”

In the paper

“Unfortunately, the exact depth at which the other bone specimens we dated in this study were found could not be established from the archival records at our disposal”

In the paper

“while the cut-marked metatarsal may reflect stripping of tendons [48] (Figure D in S1 Fig).”

What the sources say

• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [48] LR Binford, 1981, Bones. Ancient men and modern myths

In the paper

“Bluefish Caves, situated in Eastern Beringia, may have been located at the easternmost extent of the standstill population’s geographical range.”

In the paper

“Sedimentary abrasion or trampling are also eliminated since the caribou coxal bone shows no other signs of abrasion and the long, parallel striae on the horse mandible are simply too regular.”

In the paper

“Internal microstriations: microstriations are common on the inner walls of marks produced by stone tools during butchery; they may also be produced by trampling but will not be observed in cases of root etching or tooth mark scoring [44, 46].”

What the sources say

• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [44] M Domínguez-Rodrigo, 2009, A new protocol to differentiate trampling marks from butchery cut marks, Journal of Archaeological Science source
• ?Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [46] GF Monnier, 2014, Size matters. An evaluation of descriptive and metric criteria for identifying cut marks made by unmodified rocks during butchery, Journal of Archaeological Science source