Did first Americans come from ... Australia?

[The AlphaOmega]

I really don't think this is true.  American history in the past 500 years is not hypothesis or theory.  We have more then enough evidence and records that we need to know precisely what caused colonization here in America.  Some of the reasons that people were sent to America are the same as some the of the reasons some were sent to Australia.  Maybe some from the same country were sent to each seperately.  But Australia was also colonized.  It's natives did not explore the oceans or go out to trade with other countries.  The explorers came to them.  It has heritage in Europe just as America does.

[Nagual]

quote:American history in the past 500 years

I think you use the wrong time scale...

From the article: "One particularly well preserved skull of a long-faced woman had been carbon-dated to 12,700 years ago, whereas the oldest accurately dated native American skull was only about 9,000 years old."

[James S]

I think we need to look at the shape of the continents back then. Australia was part of the super-continent Gondwanaland. It is believed the Australian aborigines originally crossed over from asia via what is now the Pacific Islands, which then would have been more like a land bridge. I think North America separated from the original land mass before Australia did, but my pehistoric geography isn't that good so I may be wrong.

- James.

[jilola]

The tectonic movements are in the millions of years timescale so the time when the Gondwana was in existence humans were still a long way in the future.

If people crossed from Asia to Australia via the Pacific Islands they most likely did so in boats. The intriguing question is, if people were able to cross significant spans of water several tens of thousands of years ago (and it seems the methods used by the Pacific tribes allow this) where else did they go and how long ago exactly was this?

The technologies they used, namely word of mouth information and easily desctructible devices, would leave little trace for us to discover.

2cents & L&L
Jouni

[Jenadots]

I think most experts have traced the earliest native american tribes as coming here via a land connection in the bering straits of Alaska.  Makes sense as the Eskimos who have always been rather isolated from others look almost the same as some of the people of Mongolia and Tibet.  As the tribes moved south, their appearance may have changed a bit, but there is a resemblance.  Also, modern day Incan Peruvians look similiar to the Tibetans.  

Interesting how they migrated and what a jouney, via foot.  Talk about sore feet.  No doubt it took many generations to move throughout north and south america.  

I can also see the connection between the original Australian aborigines and many South Pacific islanders including those in Hawaii.  They were a traveling bunch.  

[Nagual]

Researcher makes claim on basis of skulls and more
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5927028/