Most archaeologists have held that people first reached the Americas less than 20,000
years ago by crossing a land bridge into North America. But recent discoveries of human
shelters in South America dating from 32,000 years ago have led researchers to speculate that
people arrived in South America first, after voyaging across the Pacific, and then spread
northward.
Which of the following, if it were discovered, would be pertinent evidence against the
speculation above?
A. A rock shelter near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, contains evidence of use by human beings
19,000 years ago.
B. Some North American sites of human habitation predate any sites found in South
America.
C. The climate is warmer at the 32,000-year-old South American site than at the oldest
known North American site.
D. The site in South America that was occupied 32,000 years ago was continuously
occupied until 6,000 years ago.
E. The last Ice Age, between 11,500 and 20,000 years ago, considerably lowered worldwide
sea levels.
OA after some discussion...