New Hypothesis Suggests First Americans Originated from PSHK Peninsula

New Insights into the First Americans

Recent research led by an international group of scholars from various universities, including Tokyo Metropolitan University and the University of Nevada, Reno, has unveiled a significant new hypothesis regarding the origins of the earliest modern humans in North America. The study emphasizes a new perspective shift from the well-known Beringia hypothesis to the PSHK Peninsula (Old Sakhalin, Hokkaido, and the Kuril Islands) as a potential cradle for the first Americans.

The researchers investigated stone tool technology characteristics found in pre-Clovis archaeological sites across North America, dating back approximately 13,500 years. They identified a remarkable uniformity in both the technology and the composition of stone tools across ten distinct archaeological sites, coining the term “American Upper Paleolithic (AUP)” to describe this cultural phase. This discovery is especially pertinent as it highlights previously obscured features of pre-Clovis culture and its origins, which had not been adequately explored in prior studies.

The group posited that the cultural traits reflected in AUP stone tools share significant similarities with technologies identified in the Upper Paleolithic of Northeast Asia, particularly from the PSHK Peninsula. Notably, the AUP tool assemblages and those from the PSHK Peninsula displayed crucial technological similarities, including a combination of flake and blade technologies and bifacial stemmed points designed for optimal durability and ballistic performance. These findings challenge misconceptions and present a compelling argument previously overlooked in existing research.

This study emerges in a context where ancient genomic research indicates that foundational populations of the Americas were formed in Northeast Asia around 25,000 years ago, transitioning southward approximately 20,000 years ago after a phase of regional isolation or bottlenecking. While traditional models have primarily focused on the Beringia hypothesis—claiming that early populations remained isolated before arriving in the Americas—this latest study calls for reevaluating the archeological data to establish the location of this supposed isolation.

The findings revealed that the earliest habitable sites in North America are located primarily in states such as Oregon, Idaho, Wisconsin, Texas, and Florida, indicating that the expansion of modern humans into these regions likely occurred through a gradual process taking several thousand years. Consequently, it suggests that migration patterns could date back as far as 20,000 years prior to the archaeological evidence gathered.

As the study unveils the remarkable correlation of technologies between the early North American sites and those of the PSHK Peninsula, it appears the AUP cultures stand as credible descendants of the ancient peoples who forged a path via maritime routes around 20,000 years ago. This possible link will encourage further archaeological assessments in Northeast Asia and add depth to our understanding of human migration.

The significant implications of this research extend to the broader narrative of human adaptation and survival strategies across the harsh environments in the North Pacific, positing that ancient groups traversed between multiple refuges, potentially securing a foothold within the regions that would later become the Americas.

Funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, this groundbreaking study, “Characterizing the American Upper Paleolithic,” was published online on October 22, 2025, in Science Advances. It captures attention for its pertinent analytical exploration and has already gained recognition as a research highlight in Science on October 23, 2025.

In conclusion, this research offers a compelling alternative to the previously dominant Beringia model and highlights the significance of the PSHK Peninsula as a potential origin point for the first Americans. As further evidence emerges, we are likely to see this hypothesis deeply examined and scrutinized, paving the way for exciting discoveries in our understanding of humanity's first steps across the continents.