It is also a minor peeve of mine that Archeologists have traditionally greatly discounted the possibility that humans could have followed the coast (not the interrior) around the Pacific. This area would likey have been very cold and very dry, thus not supporting much in they way of life (unless you ascribe to the theory of polar shift).
“...several of the island groups in the atlantic were once much more extensive, (but) it was not the mid-Atlantic ridge.”
After posting the above, I thought you might find the following of interest:
“Proposing what is essentially...the ‘forebulge effect’ ...downward pressure on the continental landmasses of Northern Europe and North America during the Ice Age could, through isostatic compensation, have forced the mid-Atlantic Ridge upwards, perhaps far enough upwards to have elevated its highest peaks and plateaux above water for as long as 40,000 years before the ice-sheets went into meltdown.” (Underworld, by Graham Hancock, p.513)
The Azores Island group is part of a submerged plateau associated with the mid-Atlantic Ridge, and that plateau would most certainly have been above see level 15,000 years ago, and could even have still been above sea level as recently as 9,600 years ago.
Mind you, I’m not a cheerleader of either Graham Hancock or Jared Diamond, but both men are relentless researchers and have provided interesting facts for me to ponder.