Topic ID #38477 - posted 7/2/2017 8:42 AM

How Humans Evolved: Ancient Americans Adapted To Live In Mountain Environment


Ancient humans adapted to many different kinds of harsh environments around the world and the Andes Mountains were no exception. New evidence suggests some of the earliest Americans made their homes thousands of feet up.

Researchers studied human remains and artifacts found in a location about 12,500 feet above sea level in a wide area in southern Peru called the Andean Altiplano. By analyzing the bones of 16 people, and based on other evidence, the team discovered the society had made a permanent home in the highlands, living there year-round earlier than 7,000 years ago, a study in the journal Royal Society Open Science found.

