The oldest surviving footprint of humans in the Americas has been found, scientists claim in a new study.

A single footprint, discovered in Chile, was found which dates back 15,600 years.

Originally excavated in 2010, researchers have now ruled out animals and have confirmed that it belongs to an male adult human.

Scientists say the fossil could provide new insights into the human colonisation of Patagonia, the sparsely populated region shared by Chile and Argentina.

The oldest surviving footprint of humans in the Americas has been found in Chile, Scientists claim in a new study. The ancient footprint is pictured, having formed cracks due to drying out after being removed from its original site

The footprint was found at the Pilauco excavation site in the city of Osorno in south-central Chile where scientists have been digging since 2007.

Scientists think it is a straight down imprint that belongs to a barefooted adult human who was of 'light body weight'.

It was discovered alongside fossil bones and tools and its date was established by using radiocarbon dating of organic plant material also present.

To establish whether its owner was human or animal, scientists performed foot printing test by stepping into similar soil - with moisture added back in - at different angles and pressures.

The reconstruction used three different human barefoot print-makers with similar foot size but different height and weight.

They were able to establish that the original soil - around 15,600 years ago - was likely well saturated with water.

Based on features such as foot arch, the size of the print, and the width-ratio between the ball of the foot and the lack third segment, scientists were able to conclude the print came from a human male around 22 pounds (10kg) lighter than one of their print makers.

The print was also likely buried fast by layers of soil after it was made, which allowed it to be preserved it to this day.

Given that the measured depth of the area it was excavated, it may have been buried and compressed by more than three meters of sediment, making it less distinct than it was originally.

Based on foot printing tests they conducted, scientists think the print come from a straight down step that belongs to a barefooted adult human who was of 'light body weight'. The diagram shows the different type of prints could be made - with different angles and pressure

The single footprint found in Chile is thought to be a 15,600-year old imprint. The picture shows how the footprint looked at the original site of discovery, before the sediment dried out after being removed for studying

Dr Karen Moreno, a palaeontologist with the Universidad Austral, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, who has overseen the studies, said researchers had also found bones of animals near the site, including those of primitive elephants, but determined that the footprint was evidence of human presence.

Dr Moreno said this was the first evidence of humans in the Americas older than 12,000 years.

To establish if the footprint's owner was human and how it was made, scientists performed foot printing tests on soil at different soil moisture levels and with different foot angles and pressures. They compared these to the excavated specimen to determine its original state

She said: 'Little by little in South America we're starting to find sites with evidence of human presence, but this is this oldest in the Americas,' she said.

The footprint was first discovered in 2010 by a student at the Universidad Austral of Chile. Scientists then worked for years to rule out the possibility that the print may have belonged to some other species of animal, and to determine the fossil's estimated age.

The research group has worked for over ten years to rule out the possibility that the print may have belonged to some other species of animal, and to determine the fossil's estimated age.