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The footprint was first discovered in 2010 by a
student at the Universidad Austral of Chile. Scientists then
worked for years to rule out the possibility that the print may
have belonged to some other species of animal, and to determine
the fossil's estimated age.
Karen Moreno, a paleontologist with the Universidad Austral who
has overseen the studies, said researchers had also found bones
of animals near the site, including those of primitive
elephants, but determined that the footprint was evidence of
human presence.
Moreno said this was the first evidence of humans in the
Americas older than 12,000 years.
"Little by little in South America we're starting to find sites
with evidence of human presence, but this is this oldest in the
Americas," she said.
(Reporting by Fabian Cambero, writing by Dave Sherwood; editing
by Bill Berkrot)
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