Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Scientists Now Believe Native Americans Descended From a Previously Unknown Vanished Population

Scientists Now Believe Native Americans Descended From a Previously Unknown Vanished Population
Ben Potter/National Geographic

DNA from a long-buried child’s bones supports the theory that Native Americans may share a common ancestor.

The ancient, fragile bones of a buried child were all it took to discover what scientists now believe to be America’s first known settlers.

In 2010, archaeologists who came across an infant girl’s body in an approximately 11,500-year-old Alaskan burial pit had no idea what they’d stumbled upon. In a subsequent study of the child’s genomic structure, published recently in Nature, a team of international scientists reveals that she is descended from a previously unknown population they believe would have been among the first to migrate to the Americas.


The girl’s genome, the oldest-yet full genetic profile of a New World individual, provides the first definitive evidence of an ancestor common to all Native American populations. Researchers expected the child’s DNA would match one of two “branches” used to categorize New World populations: the northern or southern branch.  

However, they found it significantly differed from both branches. The team concluded that the child was descended from a distinct, since-vanished population that likely crossed the Beringia land bridge from Siberia to North America around 36,000 years ago.

The DNA of this group, which scientists have labeled “Ancient Beringians,” more closely matches that of both modern and ancient Native Americans than of East Asians, suggesting its members made up the New World’s founding population. “It’s the earliest branch in the Americas that we know of so far,” said study co-author Eske Willerslev of the University of Copenhagen.

Specifically, the findings bolster a widely-held theory suggesting American migration began in the Pleistocene era. The theory posits that the Beringia land bridge was at that time exposed due to low sea levels, though by 11,000 years ago, the Last Glacial Maximum would have swallowed the land, preventing further populations from crossing over.

Variances found in “Ancient Beringian” DNA suggest that this unique population was cut off genetically from the larger group, perhaps once the sea swallowed up this bridge.

Archaeologists unearthed the ancient child in central Alaska at a site called Upward Sun River. They named the child, whom they estimate died at around six weeks old, Xach’itee’aanenh T’eede Gaay, which translates to “sunrise girl-child” in Middle Tanana, a local dialect.

Willerslev and his team believe descendants of the girl’s family survived in their new North American home for close to 13,000 years before eventually dying out. Evidence suggests that Upward Sun River once housed a series of temporary settlements that continued to spring up and vanish over thousands of years.

For University of Alaska archaeologist Ben Potter, who discovered the site in 2006, these findings raise a host of intriguing questions about Ancient Beringians’ way of life:

“We didn’t know this population even existed. Now we know they were here for many thousands of years, and that they were really successful. How did they do it? How did they change?”

Undoubtedly, Upward Sun River, and perhaps other archaeological sites in the region, have more secrets to reveal about America’s original occupants. “My answer to the question, ‘What happened to the Ancient Beringians?’ is: ‘We don’t know,’” said Potter. “And I like that answer.”

More from News

Woman relaxing in sunhat and sunglasses
Photo by Jordan Bauer on Unsplash

People Explain Which 'Small Luxuries' They Can't Live Without

Many of us have committed to being fairly financially frugal and not overspending on silly, unnecessary things.

That is to say, sometimes, it's fun to splurge on something one time to see what it's like to experience that small luxury.

Keep ReadingShow less
two women in emotional distress seated on couch
Ben White on Unsplash

People Who've Experienced Grief Share The Most Tone-Deaf Things They've Heard

Grief, loss, trauma are all part of life. But for most people, the emotions and reactions that go with them are difficult to witness.

So they rely on platitudes to fill any holes in conversation. That's rarely a good idea.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Demands 'Boss Of AT&T' Fix Equipment After Failed Conference Call In Bizarre Meltdown

When most of us have technical difficulties, we contact tech support or customer service.

But if you're President of the United States, just ranting on social media—then having your White House Press Secretary post a screenshot of your post on a social media platform people actually use—is apparently the answer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Lauren Boebert speaking to Alex Stein
Prime Time with Alex Stein/Blaze Media

Lauren Boebert Casts Doubt On Moon Landing During Wild Interview With Conspiracy Theorist

Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert was criticized after she seemingly agreed with the conspiracy theory that the moon landing was faked in a wide-ranging interview with conservative conspiracy theorist Alex Stein.

The segment began with the duo casting doubt on nuclear weapons—Boebert even joked about needing "tin foil"—and moved into weirder territory when Stein praised Boebert for "vibing" with him on the topic of the moon landing. Conspiracy theorists have long alleged the moon landing was fabricated by NASA in what they claim was an elaborate hoax.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rosie O'Donnell; Oprah Winfrey
Simon Ackerman/Getty Images; Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images

Rosie O'Donnell Calls Out Oprah For Attending Jeff Bezos' Wedding In Scathing Poem

Among the various celebrity hangers-on who attended Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's Venice wedding, the one that seemed to generate the most controversy was Oprah Winfrey.

After all, a woman known for her progressive politics whose entire ethos is about teaching people how to be their best selves, attending the wedding of man who directly funded a fascist regime dismantling our country before our eyes doesn't exactly add up.

Keep ReadingShow less