Humans experienced abrupt environmental changes at White Sands during the Last Glacial Maximum.

Humans in North America experienced abrupt environmental changes during the Last Glacial Maximum, with footprints dating between 23.5 and 21.7 thousand years ago at White Sands.

• Why it matters: Understanding how early humans responded to rapid climate shifts is crucial for reconstructing human adaptation and migration patterns during the Last Glacial Maximum.
• What they did: Researchers conducted excavations at White Sands National Park, dating 20 stratigraphic horizons using radiocarbon methods, biomarker analysis, and stratigraphy to establish a detailed environmental timeline.
• The result: Findings show a complete environmental overturn from a perennial lake to a playa during a large aridification episode, indicating humans traversed a dramatically changing landscape nearly two millennia ago.