Forty years ago, most scientists agreed that the first inhabitants of the Americas came in one big migration across the Bering Strait around 13,000 years ago.
Now, however, modern genome studies and shocking archaeological discoveries have upended everything we thought we knew about the earliest people in North America.
Unlocking new details to better understand Native American history can provide even more intricate information about DNA ties to Native Americans – even for people who did not believe they had Native American DNA.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re linked to indigenous American ancestry, Genomelink can help you uncover and understand your unique genetic profile.
Let’s explore the three waves of migration for indigenous American DNA in greater detail.
Waves of Migration for Native American DNA
While some of the earliest settlers of North America came across the Bering Strait or migrated from far distances, many did not. For decades, we have been left with many unanswered questions about the earliest inhabitants of these lands.
The most important topic up for debate based on DNA evidence? Exactly how many waves of migration occurred?
According to new DNA evidence, In South America alone, there were at least three migration waves.
Two independent studies conducted by the prestigious science journals Cell and Science found that most of the rapid expansion across North and South America took place about 13,000 years ago. Another big fact uncovered in these studies is that migration continued long past 13,000 years, meaning large-scale migrations took place over many thousands of years.
The data in these studies included 64 newly sequenced ancient DNA samples that spanned more than 10,000 years with DNA from Alaska to Patagonia.
The two studies dove into understanding how ancient Americans moved across North and South America 13,000 years ago.
Previous genetic research concluded that Native American ancestors came from Siberia and East Asia about 25,000 years ago through Beringia's now mostly drowned landmass.
Additionally, ancient fossilized footprints in New Mexico’s White Sands National Park have been dated as far back as 21,000 years ago.
It was concluded that some populations stayed in Beringia while other groups of people migrated south to South America.
At some point in the migration process, those that ventured to the south split into two groups of people referred to as the "Southern Native Americans" and the "Northern Native Americans" (also referred to as Ancestral A and B lineages), who went on to populate North and South America.
How Do Migration Waves Affect Native American DNA?
One of the most significant conclusions provided by this study was that these close DNA samples from a similar period across a wide array of different areas suggest that Native people most likely moved quickly across the Americas.
Because of the rapid nature of their progression and movement, it left little to no time to evolve into distinct and unique genetic groups, hence the vast similarities between various collected samples.
One big question we should dive deeper into after looking at the Americas is, “what are the relationships between the groups we're mapping here and the ones that we only have hints of genetically and archaeologically?” From there, we can obtain more sound genetic links between Australia and South America.
Australian and Amazonia DNA Connections
In a study conducted by prestigious Harvard University and reported on by Science Daily, genetics have linked the indigenous people of the Amazon to those indigenous to Australia.
This discovery sheds new light on migration patterns and opens a new door to a previously unknown wave of migration to the Americas.
Pontus Skoglund, the first author of the paper and a postdoctoral researcher in the Reich lab, was studying genetics when he noticed a strange similarity between a couple of Native American groups in Brazil and indigenous groups in Australia, New Guinea, and the Andaman Islands.
In this particular study, genetic information from 21 Native American populations from Central and South America was used along with DNA from nine additional populations in Brazil. From there, a comparison was made between those genomes to the genomes of people from about 200 non-American groups.
The authors note: “Tupí-speaking Suruí and Karitiana and the Ge-speaking Xavante of the Amazon had a genetic ancestor more closely related to indigenous Australians than to any other present-day population.”
Furthermore, “the genetic markers from this ancestor don't match any population known to have contributed ancestry to Native Americans, and the geographic pattern can't be explained by post-Columbian European, African or Polynesian mixture with Native Americans.”
It was concluded that the link most likely comes from the first Americans and about 2% of Amazonians are linked to this indigenous Australian heritage.
Do You Have Native American DNA? Genomelink Can Help You Better Understand Your History
Have you ever wondered whether or not you have Native American roots? More people are tied to the first inhabitants of the Americas than you may realize, and a DNA test can give you concrete evidence of your ancestry.
If you’d like to find out more about your ancestry, use your raw DNA data to sign up with Genomelink and begin your DNA analysis journey.
With chromosome-level analysis and cutting-edge algorithms, Genomelink can offer you unprecedented insight into your ancestry. Discover more about your ancient ancestors by signing up today.
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