New Study Suggests Different Origins of Native Americans - http://clapway.com/2015/07/26/new-study-suggests-different-origins-of-native-americans796/

The Origins of Man

The exact history of how we came to be is one that is still quite unclear and constantly revised. Many cultures around the world hold their own creation stories about the creation of the world and how the people came to be. But we all have one thing in common, the Earth.

This is why the Human Genome Project went underway in 2005 to help map out the genetic trail across the world. What little is known about the map thus far can be found on here on the National Geographic website.

the origins of native americans

But also in a documentary/book that features geneticist and anthropologist Spencer Wells called the Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey. As mentioned, the story was made into a documentary as well, detailing the journey of tracing the trail across the world.

The origins of Native Americans came about in the last few minutes of the film. It suggested that the origins of Native Americans point to Siberia, based on blood analysis.

A new study shows evidence for a different story of the origins of Native Americans

Up to then, that’s all we really knew about the genetic trail of humankind and recently a new study was published on the 21st of this month. This study was published in Nature that suggested a different story for certain groups of people in the Americas.

In the study, the origins of Native Americans, more specifically the ones in South America by the Amazon, may share more traits with the indigenous people of Australia, New Guineans, etc. This interesting note was not seen in other natives from the North or Central Americas.

Of course, such a finding was interesting, surprising and threw off everything that was known thus far from the Genome project. So further and more intensive studies were conducted on the area where the link showed up.

interesting ramifications of study

The results showed that the finding was not a fluke, but also suggested the link may be older than the migration into the Americas. But to gauge which group came first, where from, and other such questions, they need to get a DNA sample from the remains of that group of people.

As you can imagine, there have not been any found as of yet. But since there is a link to Australians, looking at remains from there may be an option as well. All this new research tells us is that perhaps it wasn’t just a one-way stop that the Americas came to be populated.

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New Study Suggests Different Origins of Native Americans

"With the new DNA findings along with several other skeletal analyses performed over the last few years, anthropologists are able to see a bigger picture of human migration in the Americas." - http://clapway.com/2015/06/21/u-s-dna-reveals-relatives-of-8500-year-old-kennewick-man-skeleton-from-washington-to-be-native-americans-123/

After nearly a decade of debate, DNA tests confirm the 8,500-year-old skeleton found in Kennewick, Washington to be closely-related to Native Americans from the Northwest coast.

From Discovery to Disarray: Kennewick Man’s Mysterious Origins

When first discovered near the Columbia River in 1996, the skeleton caused much disarray in the scientific community as anthropologists, researchers, and reporters came up with varying theories and reports of the man’s origins.

Upon the coroner’s first inspection, the skeleton, dubbed Kennewick Man or The Ancient One, was believed to be of European descent until bone analysis concluded he was at least 8,000 years old. After the analysis, speculations arose of his real origins. When reporters covered his mysterious story, they misidentified him as being of Caucasian-descent as they were unfamiliar with “Caucasoid,” the term researchers were using in reference to him.

Contested Origins and a Complicated Court Case about Kennewick Man

Though reporters may have led some astray with their error, there was still much debate among the scientific community surrounding the ancient man. Some researchers thought he was of Polynesian or Japanese descent and at least five Native American tribes claimed to have descended from Kennewick Man.

Matters were further complicated by a court case between the federal government and several of the Native American tribes against the scientific researchers interested in understanding his origins. His possible Native American descendants argued for his proper ritual burial, while the science scholars believed the research to be paramount in understanding human migration. After the lengthy court case, the judge ruled in favor of science as the skeleton’s origins had not been conclusively founded as Native American.

Anthropologists Reconstruct Kennewick Man’s Life

As researchers worked to trace Kennewick Man’s genome through DNA analysis, a group of physical anthropologists worked to recreate his life. Their findings indicated he was between 35 to 45 years old and he stood around 5’7” tall (170 cm). He was predominately right-handed and due to injuries his skeleton revealed, he was most likely involved in hard labor.

Anthropologists linked him to a coastal area as chemical analysis of his bones revealed a diet of fish. The size and shape of his skull also linked him to a coastal area, one believed to link him to the Polynesians or Ainu. However, with advanced methods of DNA extraction, these theories would be put to rest soon.

DNA Evidence Proves Kennewick Man More Closely-related to Native Americans

On June 18, a new study, undertaken by Eske Willerslev, was published that compared DNA found in a sliver of bone in Kennewick Man’s hand to different human populations’ DNA. The findings confirmed Kennewick Man’s origins as more closely-related to the Native Americans rather than then Polynesian or Ainu peoples.

The study also re-examined the skull and found it was within a normal range of variation to be related to Native American populations. The theory of his origins along the Northwest coast held true.

The team found the closest genetic match to be the Colville tribe, one of the original tribes claiming Kennewick Man. Although they are the closest relatives known, scientists have pointed out that the study had a limited sample size of Native American DNA. While other tribes may be more closely-related, the Colville tribe have embraced The Ancient One as one of their own.

The Impact of Kennewick Man’s Origins and His Future

With the new DNA findings along with several other skeletal analyses performed over the last few years, anthropologists are able to see a bigger picture of human migration in the Americas.

One lineage of people migrated to Central and South America. Another lineage headed into the northwest coast of North America towards Canada. Kennewick Man and the nomadic group to which he belonged would become a third branch that followed the south line before diverting north to live and travel around different areas of the Columbia River.

Though the findings have brought The Ancient One to his Colville relatives, Kennewick Man’s journey isn’t completely over yet as this new evidence must be taken into consideration before his final resting place is decided. For now, he will remain at the Burke Museum in Washington.

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U.S.: DNA Reveals Relatives of 8,500-Year-Old Kennewick Man Skeleton from Washington to Be Native Americans

U.K.: Egypt Major Gateway for Prehistoric Human Migration - http://clapway.com/2015/05/29/u-k-egypt-major-gateway-for-prehistoric-human-migration-123/

While most scientists agree that mankind originated in Africa, there has been much discussion over the years as to what route they took out of Africa to expand and travel via prehistoric human migration.

Egypt Major Thoroughfare for Leaving Africa

Now, genetic information from prehistoric humans shows that Egypt was a major gateway for prehistoric human migration and travel into the rest of the world. So says a study done by scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger and the University of Cambridge by analyzing the genome of modern populations of humans living in Egypt and Ethiopia.

The scientists used the genetic data from six groups of modern humans from Northeastern Africa. The test subjects were 100 Egyptians and 5 Ethiopian groups of 25 people in each group.

Two Probable Routes Were Used For Prehistoric Human Migration

The scientists determined that while they are positive that the prehistoric humans began in Africa, there are two probable routes that were likely used for travel out of Africa, and the migrating humans chose these routes about 60,000 years ago. There were two prehistoric human migration routes to choose from. One route went through Egypt and Sinai in a northern direction and the other choice was to go through Ethiopia, via the Bab el Mandeb strait and Arabian Peninsula, which is to the south.

The genetic testing and study ended up revealing a closer genetic likeness between the Egyptian and Eurasian peoples than there was seen between the Ethiopian peoples and the Eurasians. This showed that the majority of prehistoric humans preferred to travel the northern route out of Africa.

Pre Human Migration Findings Fill In Part of the Evolutionary Puzzle

The researchers’ findings, which are now printed in the American Journal of Human Genetics, help to fill in part of the evolutionary puzzle of mankind’s past. The data can also be used to help put together a public catalogue of the diversity of the genome for Ethiopian and Egyptian peoples, which could help with medical or anthropological research in the future.

Most scientists today agree that once prehistoric humans evolved into the first examples of more modern humans that they started their migration out of Africa. It is thought that they may have used land bridges or rafts to get across oceans. In addition, fossils have proven that the Neanderthals were already in the areas where the pre-human migration was taking place.

U.K.: Egypt Major Gateway for Prehistoric Human Migration