Gene Study Supports Single Bering Strait Migration

Invisible Pink Unicorn writes "One of the most comprehensive analyses of genetic variation ever undertaken supports the theory that the ancestors of modern native peoples throughout the Americas came from a single source in East Asia across a northwest land bridge some 12,000 years ago. One particular discovery is of a 'unique genetic variant widespread in natives across both continents — suggesting that the first humans in the Americas came in a single migration or multiple waves from a single source, not in waves of migrations from different sources.' The full article is available online from PLoS."

Re:If only...

[rubycodez]

the oceans have been rising since the last ice age, Al Gore forgets that part

12 is too young

[toddhisattva]

But there were people here before 12kya, learning the "Clovis" point from the French, inventing chewable crack cocaine by themselves (using calcium carbonate), and generally having a good time.

Folks have been here so long it is hard to calibrate their radiocarbon dates.

Genes can be killed off. We have artifacts older than genes. I guess the Old Ones got killed off. Was Kennewick Man (portrayed by Patrick Stewart) an Old One?

Anyone with specialist knowledge, please comment.

Re:Native?

[king-manic]

That alone speaks VOLUMES about wisdom, humility, and more.

Sorry, but history in the US is so full of shit, and it's tragic that this is NOT being taught to inspire respect, humility, and more in modern US citizens who will have to deal with the morass we and our so-called leaders have gotten this country into time after time.

China really ought to have. From about 1 ad to 1200 ad China had the economic and military might to conquer large portions of the world but were always too introspective. They viewed anything outside of china as barbarian lands hardly worth the effort to visit. It was arrogance more then humility and wisdom. the greatest downfall of China was the isolationist policies enacted by one of the emperors to curb the power of the merchant class. Had he been less successful china might have been a merchant empire as well as Europe.

Ps. I'm proudly Chinese, this isn't china bashing.

Truth be told ...

[sgunhouse]

I do wish people wouldn't make such baseless claims as that. "... the first ..."? We have found some fossil remains that predate that (as in, more than 12000 years ago) by quite a bit. One could claim that those others failed to survive where they'd have descendents alive today - raising the question of when they died out and for what reason - but claims that the first humans in the Americas arrived 12000 years ago are obviously false.

Don't paint an entire continent with one brush

[spun]

You speak of Native Americans as if they were all the same culture. Some tribes did live in peace and harmony with each other. Others were warlike. You do know that we got our idea of a Republic from the Iriquois Confederacy, right? Obviously, you didn't get very accurate or in depth "native American heritage".

Re:Mormon's story of how the America's were popula

[moderatorrater]

The Book of Mormon isn't clear on which direction the ships came from, but the most widely-believed theories are that the earlier migration was from the East (Europe/Africa) while the later one was from the West (India/Asia), both by boats. Also, it doesn't "blow all sorts of holes in their religion", it merely contradicts one of the beliefs.

Re:Native?

[sumdumass]

I don't know that anything in their plight is all that different then anything in mine. I mean, I grew up relatively poor, My parent worked but got divorced when I was 8 or so, Dad got laid off when the factory closed and moved out of state, we lost the house and had to move in a government project, after being there for about 5 years, Dad finally got another job and we moved to another apartment but money was tight and I had to find a job to "help out". MY paltry $150 a month contribution wasn't much but it helped. I worked for minimum wage ($2.95 then $3.35) until I was 19, Was planning on going into the marines but my job and a poor attitude stopped my grades from being high enough to be accepted (even though I scored high on the asvab.

I could go on and on about shit jobs I had to take, the failed business adventures, the successful ones, and all. But I still don't see the advantage I had. Maybe it was because I just took the worst and attempted to make the best of it. I don't know. But outside some drug habit or something, I don't think I could have been much worse off. Definitely not in a position of being advantaged over someone else.