New research is challenging the theory that the ancestors of Native people first arrived in the Americas about 13,000 years ago.

Stone tools found in Brazil date back about 22,000 years, according to research that was published last year. The bones of giant sloths in Uruguay indicate that the animals were eaten by humans about 33,000 years ago, researchers said last year.

The discoveries aren't limited to South America. Sites in the U.S. have been dated as far back as 15,500 years and 14,000 years.

“The Clovis paradigm is finally buried,” Eric Boëda, a French archaeologist who was part of the team that dated the stone tools in Brazil, told The New York Times.

Clovis refers to the theory that the first Americans arrived about 13,000 years ago, based on stone tools found in southern New Mexico.

Get the Story:
Discoveries Challenge Beliefs on Humans’ Arrival in the Americas (The New York Times 3/28)

Related Stories:
Research ties Native Americans to indigenous people in Siberia (03/14)
Alex Ewen: Scientists test out another Native migration theory (3/10)
DNA study shows link between ancient baby and Native people (2/14)