25,000-year-old giant sloth bones found in Brazil

Archaeologists have found artifacts from the bones of an extinct giant sloth (Glossotherium phoenesis) in one of the caves of Santa Elina (Brazil). Dating has shown them to be between 25,000 and 27,000 years old. Study this was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

The discovered objects have clear traces of processing, including holes. In addition, the surface of some of them is carefully polished. There were also stone tools in the cave.

In order to be sure of the man-made origin of the artifacts, scientists conducted a comparative analysis of the traces. After all, the carcass of a dead animal could be eaten by rodents. Various microscopic and macroscopic imaging techniques have shown that the tiny holes could not have formed naturally.

Thus, the archaeologists concluded that the sloth's remains were transformed by someone's skillful hand and used as decorations.

Now scientists are questioning the theory of the settlement of South America. Until now, it was believed that the first people arrived on this mainland a maximum of 10-12 thousand ribbons ago. However, this may be fundamentally wrong, because the Brazilian cave pendants are twice as large.