New Science paper argues horses came to the Americas earlier than previously thought—a conclusion that, if it holds up, rewrites the history of the N. American West. Strikingly, the article is from a team of archaeologists, geneticists, and Lakota researchers and elders. 1/15 pic.twitter.com/ysxroKq2T9
— 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 (@CharlesCMann) March 30, 2023
I remember reading the phrase: There was a horse-shaped hole in the Plains ecology. When a tech innovation drops that can really update the lifestyle of a whole society, there’s a strong incentive to become an early adopter…
The standard story (repeated in, among other places, my own work) is horses originated in N America, went extinct there ~12K years ago (except remnants in Alaska), were reintroduced to the Americas via Spain's invasion, then spread into the West after the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. 3/15 pic.twitter.com/vcnu2Agm54
— 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 (@CharlesCMann) March 30, 2023
Cool Science Open Thread: Horses As New Tech in the American WestPost + Comments (50)