How did the first humans appear in North America?

Question

"Appear" as in "arrive".

Answer 1

There are two main theories on how humans migrated to the Western Hemisphere:
1) Bering Straits land bridge
2) Primitive watercraft across the South Pacific

And Mac, this has nothing to do with evolution. Even the most backwards fundamentalist doesn't believe Native Americans evolved separately in the Western Hemisphere – we are not two separate species!

As others have pointed out, sea levels were once lower, allowing easy passage from Siberia to Alaska. Some evidence for this theory involves Clovis point arrowheads and related technology http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clovis_culture. Archaeologists can trace the spread of humans by following and dating artifacts from this technology as it spread from Alaska.

Not all arrowheads are made the same way, and it is easy to tell a Clovis point from other types. Arrowhead construction was the advanced technology of the time, and took time to learn! Using carbon dating (and other methods), we can measure the dates of paraphernalia linked to Clovis points. We can then measure how this technology spread across time and distance, from Alaska southwards, as time progressed.

The other main theory is that humans came across the South Pacific Ocean using watercraft. This theory is supported by carbon dating of campfires in South America that precede the land bridge across the Bering Straits.

Answer 2

If you believe in The Big Bang theory and things just magically appeared with no thought behind it; then the answer is Poof they just magically appeared.

I wasn't there when it happened. It is said that the land masses (techtonic plates) move. Before the North American plate moved animals that happened to be on this plate went along for the ride and with some inter bredding new animal hibrids came about. There were some animals who swam the short distants before it moved further and some drifted along on floating wood.

It is said there was a land bridge at one time that people crossed over before it vanished and then others came on boats and in time on ships.

Answer 3

If you choose to believe that the human race evolved in one tiny little spot of the earth and then decided to start moving around ,through cold areas and ice -in an era where there were very few people around and nothing forced them to move- than yes ,a mongoloid race crossed the Bering land mass
-now the Bering straights- and then started descending.
If all this walking around ,through increasingly colder areas ,seems illogical to you ,then it is time to accept that they evolved on the spot therefore they are natives.

Tom D

I don't think we are different species.The theory of simultaneous evolution makes more sense to me than the theory of endless displacements ,in hostile environment for no reason at all ,in the prehistorical era.

Answer 4

during the last ice age, sea levels were much lower and the easternmost part of russia and the western most part of north america were connected. it was called the bering land mass ( now the bering straight ) a mongoloid race crossed this land mass and became the indians that the europeans discovered

Answer 5

1) Overland from Siberia
2) Over the ice of the frozen part of the Atlantic.

Answer 6

They came from Asia, and navigated the Bering Straits.
Even I don't believe that...

Answer 7

O sweetie, they were a MESS. They were dirty, and wore bearskins, and smelled FOUL. However, their caves and huts were decorated in a simple yet attractive style.

Love, Jack.

Answer 8

Hairy. This look was enhanced by the fact that they wore furs. You did mean appearance,right?

Answer 9

Overland or by boat along the north american coast.

Answer 10

when the english arrived,(just kidding)