It’s time to rewrite the history books, scientists have unearthed DNA evidence suggesting that the first inhabitants of the Americas had European ancestry. This discovery centers around the remains of a baby girl, found in what is now Alaska, dating back to the end of the last ice age.
The Discovery:
Excavations in the Tanana River Valley in Central Alaska revealed the remains of this six-week-old infant alongside another stillborn baby, believed to be a cousin. The findings, published in the scientific journal Nature, have sparked controversy and conversation about the origins of Native American populations.
The Genetic Evidence:
Researchers, including Eske Willerslev from the University of Copenhagen, managed to extract ancient DNA from the larger of the two infants. The genetic analysis showed that nearly half of the girl’s DNA was linked to ancient north Europeans, specifically from what is now Scandinavia. This suggests she was part of a distinct group named “ancient Beringians,” separate from the commonly recognized northern and southern Native American lineages.
This study challenges the traditional narrative that Native Americans solely descended from migrations across the Bering land bridge from Asia. Instead, it proves complex intermingling of populations, where Europeans contributed significantly to the genetic pool of the first Americans.
The study has not been without its critics. David Reich from Harvard University, while acknowledging the research’s contribution to understanding a single migration model, cautions about the accuracy of the split dates from European ancestors. He notes that minor errors in data could lead to significant misinterpretations of when these genetic lineages diverged.
This revelation brings into question how we understand the movement and mixing of human populations in prehistory. It also underscores the need for more genetic studies to confirm or refute these findings. The debate around this discovery is not just scientific but also cultural, as it touches upon the identity and history of Native American communities.
The discovery of a previously unknown group, dubbed “ancient Beringians,” has added a fascinating layer to the narrative of Native American origins. These ancient Beringians are believed to have diverged from the initial Native American population around 20,000 years ago. While the ancestors of contemporary Native Americans migrated southward as the glaciers receded, the ancient Beringians stayed put in the northern regions until their lineage eventually vanished.
“This discovery introduces us to a new segment of Native American history,” explained Eske Willerslev, an evolutionary geneticist from the University of Copenhagen. His team managed to extract DNA from the petrous bone, a dense part of the skull, belonging to a girl. The findings of this research have been published in the journal Nature.
Collaborating with scientists from the University of Alaska and beyond, Willerslev’s team analyzed the genetic profile of the baby, affectionately named Xach’itee’aanenh t’eede gaay or “sunrise child-girl” by the local community. The analysis revealed that almost half of her genetic material was inherited from ancient North Eurasians, who resided in what is now Siberia. The other half of her DNA was an almost equal blend of the genetic signatures found in both northern and southern Native American populations today.
Through the application of evolutionary models, the researchers traced the emergence of the first Native American ancestors to about 35,000 years ago, likely in Northeast Asia. Approximately 25,000 years ago, this group intermingled with ancient North Eurasians in the area, setting the stage for the genetic lineage that would eventually spread across the New World.
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