Ancient human population histories revealed in Central and South America

[Judi Lynn]

November 09, 2018

The first high quality ancient DNA data from Central and South America--49 individuals some as old as 11,000 years--has revealed a major and previously unknown exchanges between populations.

Unprecedented details about the ancestry of the people of Central and South America have been uncovered in a new study in the journal Cell by archaeologists and geneticists at The University of New Mexico, Harvard Medical School, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, the University of California Santa Cruz, the Pennsylvania State University, the University of São Paulo, and other institutions in Brazil, Belize, Chile, Argentina, Peru, the European Union and the U.S.

The researchers analyzed DNA data from precisely dated skeletons found in excavations in Central and South America. Some of these people were over 10,000 years old. Previously, the only genomes that had been reported from this region and that provided sufficient quality data to analyze were less than 1,000 years old.

After obtaining official permits to excavate, the researchers conducted analysis on ancient human remains, and consulted with local governmental agencies and indigenous organizations.

More:
https://www.brightsurf.com/news/article/110918469818/ancient-human-population-histories-revealed-in-central-and-south-america.html