Read the text carefully and choose the best group of words for each gap in the text.

For those curious, it turns out
the inventing of showshoeing is a recent phenomenon.
the development of snowshoeing is quite well known.
the history of showshoeing is somewhat mysterious.
(3 p.)
The archeological record is slim when it comes to the origin of snowshoes, and recent developments in the understanding of how humans came to the Americas have put something of a wrench in the gears of the generally accepted theory.

The theory which currently exists in snowshoeing circles is that around 4,000 BCE, the practice of wearing a shoe to disperse the force of your foot hitting the snow and keep you from sinking with every step began in Central Asia.
Because of increasing amounts of snow,
Despite the overpopulation in that region,
As these humans dispersed around the globe,
(3 p.) these “shoes” evolved to take on different forms and purposes.

The groups that traveled east crossed the Bering Strait and eventually made it to the Americas, gradually moving southward. As tribes formed and spread out across North America,
each modified the snowshoe to fit the needs of their environment.
local circumstances dictated which materials were used for snowshoes.
the climate of the region determined if snowshoes were needed or not.
(3 p.)
The Cree created the longest snowshoe, at around 6 feet long with a turned-up toe, for hunting across large plains. On the other hand, the Iroquois created narrower, shorter shoes to achieve more maneuverability in densely forested areas.

Is it possible that snowshoes were brought to the Americas by boat instead of by foot?
It is almost certain,
It is understandable,
It is possible,
(3 p.) but, as mentioned previously, we do not have enough evidence and information yet to fully understand the origins of snowshoes.

By comparing the use of snowshoes in North America and Europe,
Thanks to a considerable amount of new archeological evidence,
Despite having limited insight into the origin of snowshoes,
(3 p.) we do know plenty about their more recent history. Across North America, snowshoes were one of the cultural elements common to all tribes that lived where snowy winter conditions were common. In today’s geography, the tribes that lived in Canada and the Northern United States even stretched to some more southern areas. We also know that snowshoes made it to Europe in the late 1600s due to the colonial presence in North America.

The use of snowshoes
outside of the strictly practical is likely not a new phenomenon.
seems to have changed over time and become popular in the 1800s.
was more common among the Native Americans than the colonists.
(3 p.)
Many Native American tribes used the shoes in dances and likely for sport as well. This tradition was picked up by European-Canadians and started to spread and become a popular sport for many by the 1840s, which is when the first snowshoe club was founded in Montreal. It was the first of many such clubs, especially in Canada where there are many snowshoe clubs today. It was at these club meetings that races were held.

The two main types were dashes and hurdles. Dashes were typically around two miles in distance and hurdlers leaped over four-foot-high barriers. The snowshoeing hurdle race began around a decade before the summer version of the race. And this is not the only impact snowshoeing has created in the running world. The term “jogged” was first used to describe the slow, steady pace of snowshoers during the early 1870s. On top of this, until 1945, track athletes would use snowshoes to train during winter
as they wanted to help improve the quality of snowshoes.
since the snowshoe clubs provided them with good facilities.
if they didn't have access to quality indoor training venues.
(3 p.)
By 1870, snowshoeing clubs had spread to Ottawa, Toronto, and Quebec City, in addition to becoming much more competitive. This prompted the reduction of the weight of snowshoes from four pounds to one and a half pounds.

In more recent times, the wood frame of snowshoes was replaced with aluminum, the leather and lace binding with a neoprene and nylon decking, and cleats were added to the bottom of the shoe.
This was criticized by many old-timers.
This caused some maintenance challenges.
This shoe was lighter and more durable.
(3 p.)
In addition, whereas with a wooden shoe, a great deal of maintenance was required, including treatment with spar varnish and replacing rawhide lacing, aluminum or stainless steel, and nylon and neoprene shoes required very little maintenance.

Today, snowshoeing has become a very popular form of winter recreation. A hike down a snow-covered trail can be a breathtaking, new experience even if you have been down that same trail a hundred times before.