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Ancient DNA Reveals a Completely Unknown Population of Native Americans (sciencealert.com)

schwit1 shares the findings of a new study of 11,500-year-old bones: Sunrise girl-child ("Xach'itee'aanenh T'eede Gaay") lived some 11,500 years ago in what is now called Alaska, and her ancient DNA reveals not only the origins of Native American society, but reminds the world of a whole population of people forgotten by history millennia ago. "We didn't know this population existed," says anthropologist Ben Potter from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. "It would be difficult to overstate the importance of this newly revealed people to our understanding of how ancient populations came to inhabit the Americas." In a new study published this week, the team reports that a genetic analysis of sunrise girl-child's DNA shows she belonged to a forgotten people called the Ancient Beringians, unknown to science until now. Before now, there were only two recognized branches of early Native Americans (referred to as Northern and Southern). But when the researchers sequenced sunrise girl-child's genome -- the earliest complete genetic profile of a New World human to date -- to their surprise it matched neither.

Given the nature of this field of research -- and the scope of the new findings -- it's unlikely the new hypotheses will remain uncontested for long. But in the light of all the new evidence researchers are uncovering, it's clear the first settlers of America carried a more diverse lineage than we ever realized. "[This is] the first direct evidence of the initial founding Native American population," Potter says. "It is markedly more complex than we thought." The findings are reported in the journal Nature.

3 of 111 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Must be my ancestors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It's obvious that these unknown native americans are actually ancient aliens, as some ancient alien theorists theorize...

  2. If we didn't know they existed until now by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How do we know they were called "the Ancient Beringians"?

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    #DeleteChrome
  3. Re:What a mouthful by swb · · Score: 1, Insightful

    The real question is how did they know Xach'itee'aanenh T'eede Gaay was her name?

    They didn't, and of course if her entire population was lost to history, it also seems unlikely that whatever language she spoke it isn't the same as the contemporary native language being used to translate her name, either.

    I'm not sure why the article chose to provide us a name in a language her people didn't speak or to give her a name in the style of a contemporary native group, either.

    My guess is that it's part of some multiculturalist agenda to elevate native cultures beyond the status of stone age semi-nomadic hunter gatherers and put them on the same footing as more advanced cultures and civilizations with written languages of their own.