Comments on: 23,000 year old human footprints in New Mexico? https://habitablezone.com/2021/09/24/23000-year-old-human-footprints-in-new-mexico/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:51:21 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: DanS https://habitablezone.com/2021/09/24/23000-year-old-human-footprints-in-new-mexico/#comment-47276 DanS Sun, 17 Oct 2021 22:18:07 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88930#comment-47276 During the significant evaporation at the end of the last Ice Age, the grasslands in the White sands National Park region died out. At the same time, ancient Lake Otero receded into the occasional (after rains) Lake Lucero, New Mexico. These are located in the southeast region of the gypsum spread from White Sands National Park. Lake Otero is cited in the various writeups for the now-famous footprints, so I would say that Lake Lucero is the most likely region under archeological investigation. During the significant evaporation at the end of the last Ice Age, the grasslands in the White sands National Park region died out. At the same time, ancient Lake Otero receded into the occasional (after rains) Lake Lucero, New Mexico. These are located in the southeast region of the gypsum spread from White Sands National Park. Lake Otero is cited in the various writeups for the now-famous footprints, so I would say that Lake Lucero is the most likely region under archeological investigation.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2021/09/24/23000-year-old-human-footprints-in-new-mexico/#comment-47244 podrock Mon, 04 Oct 2021 00:00:09 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88930#comment-47244 I'm certain you were not the perp I’m certain you were not the perp

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2021/09/24/23000-year-old-human-footprints-in-new-mexico/#comment-47243 RL Sun, 03 Oct 2021 20:30:48 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88930#comment-47243 As a toddler in pre-school (or perhaps earlier) I was playing in a sandbox with another kid... I got it into my head that it would be cool to simulate a sandstorm- I told him to watch me make a sandstorm, he ended up leaning over my hands as I threw a double handful of sand up- both eyes got a heavy load of sand... I was sure I had blinded him for good, it was the first time in my life I wished I could just die... He ended up making a trip to the ER and was ok after getting his eyes rinsed, but to this day I have a serious aversion to throwing dirt and sand if anyone is around, and I am sure I would be unable to throw it at a person's face! Funny how things like that can stick with you... I remember the incident with incredible clarity... As a toddler in pre-school (or perhaps earlier) I was playing in a sandbox with another kid…

I got it into my head that it would be cool to simulate a sandstorm- I told him to watch me make a sandstorm, he ended up leaning over my hands as I threw a double handful of sand up- both eyes got a heavy load of sand…

I was sure I had blinded him for good, it was the first time in my life I wished I could just die… He ended up making a trip to the ER and was ok after getting his eyes rinsed, but to this day I have a serious aversion to throwing dirt and sand if anyone is around, and I am sure I would be unable to throw it at a person’s face!

Funny how things like that can stick with you… I remember the incident with incredible clarity…

]]> By: DanS https://habitablezone.com/2021/09/24/23000-year-old-human-footprints-in-new-mexico/#comment-47228 DanS Wed, 29 Sep 2021 18:32:33 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88930#comment-47228 Genetic tests of some South American Indians show them to be descended from Australian Aboriginies. Boat Trip! Genetic tests of some South American Indians show them to be descended from Australian Aboriginies.

Boat Trip!

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2021/09/24/23000-year-old-human-footprints-in-new-mexico/#comment-47198 podrock Mon, 27 Sep 2021 21:00:13 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88930#comment-47198 We taught you the same as if you were in a college class. Even added some stuff from upper level classes, like looking through petrologic scopes. And all of you ate it up. Y'all were a joy to teach. And sorry about the sunburn. I got fried too. We taught you the same as if you were in a college class. Even added some stuff from upper level classes, like looking through petrologic scopes.

And all of you ate it up. Y’all were a joy to teach.

And sorry about the sunburn. I got fried too.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2021/09/24/23000-year-old-human-footprints-in-new-mexico/#comment-47197 podrock Mon, 27 Sep 2021 20:52:15 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88930#comment-47197 Some of your classmates tackled me on the dunes. I was on my hands and knees and looked up with my mouth open when someone threw a double handful of gypsum at my head. I ate most of it. Couldn't breathe for a minute or two with a mouth full of dry plaster. Threw up for 15 minutes. I don't recommend it. Some of your classmates tackled me on the dunes. I was on my hands and knees and looked up with my mouth open when someone threw a double handful of gypsum at my head.

I ate most of it.

Couldn’t breathe for a minute or two with a mouth full of dry plaster. Threw up for 15 minutes.

I don’t recommend it.

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2021/09/24/23000-year-old-human-footprints-in-new-mexico/#comment-47196 RL Mon, 27 Sep 2021 19:31:06 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88930#comment-47196 Great analogy... Great analogy…

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2021/09/24/23000-year-old-human-footprints-in-new-mexico/#comment-47195 RL Mon, 27 Sep 2021 18:58:50 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88930#comment-47195 That geology summer camp was pretty damn rigorous... in college at UT Austin I took an introductory geology course and I felt like I was cheating... By that time I had probably FORGOTTEN more geology than was being taught in the college course and it was was an easy A. That geology summer camp was pretty damn rigorous… in college at UT Austin I took an introductory geology course and I felt like I was cheating… By that time I had probably FORGOTTEN more geology than was being taught in the college course and it was was an easy A.

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2021/09/24/23000-year-old-human-footprints-in-new-mexico/#comment-47193 RL Mon, 27 Sep 2021 16:48:22 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88930#comment-47193 My apologies if I was one of your would-be assassins... I usually, but not always, remember my attempted murders... but it WAS over 3 decades ago... :) If I was one of the culprits, consider it pre-emptive payback for the skin cancer I will probably get from that ill-fated river inner-tubing excursion... I had sunburn blisters 3-4 inches in diameter from that. My apologies if I was one of your would-be assassins… I usually, but not always, remember my attempted murders… but it WAS over 3 decades ago…
:) If I was one of the culprits, consider it pre-emptive payback for the skin cancer I will probably get from that ill-fated river inner-tubing excursion… I had sunburn blisters 3-4 inches in diameter from that.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2021/09/24/23000-year-old-human-footprints-in-new-mexico/#comment-47190 podrock Mon, 27 Sep 2021 16:39:47 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=88930#comment-47190 Is that they are along the edge of the playa lake. It was your field trip where I almost died there, right? Is that they are along the edge of the playa lake.

It was your field trip where I almost died there, right?

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