Final answer:
Evidence of earlier arrival dates and archaeological sites predating Clovis sites support the coastal migration theory and challenge the Clovis-first theory, with genetic studies supporting multiple migrations from Asia over the European Solutrean hypothesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Recent discoveries have challenged earlier views about how migrations to the Americas occurred, providing evidence of earlier arrival dates than previously thought and thus displacing the Clovis-first theory. Archaeological sites like Monte Verde in Chile and Taima-Taima in western Venezuela predate the North American Clovis sites, supporting the coastal migration theory that suggests a Pacific sea travel route was used by some populations. Genetic studies refute the Solutrean hypothesis by showing markers consistent with multiple migrations from Asia rather than Europe.
Despite the controversy surrounding the historical peopling of the Americas, most archaeologists now agree that the Bering Land Bridge and coastal migration theories both support that human migrations from Asia occurred between 20,000-14,000 BP. The ongoing archaeological study of pre-Clovis sites indicates technology based on gathering, hunting, and fishing, with dates extending back further than 13,200 years before present. This compelling evidence continues to push back the dates for the earliest occupation of the Americas, expanding our understanding of early human migration.