North America Settled by Just 70 People, Study Concludes

Live Science ^ | May, 25, 2005 | Jody Hey

[wildbill]

A new study of DNA suggests North America was originally populated by just a few dozen people who crossed a land bridge from Asia during the last Ice Age.

About 14,000 years ago, humans crossed the Bering land bridge from Siberia to North America, most experts agree. But just how many intrepid explorers were involved in spawning subsequent populations has not been known.

"The estimated effective size of the founding population for the New World is about 70 individuals," said Jody Hey, a professor of genetics at Rutgers University.

[org.whodat]

Depends on how slow you were at climbing the tree in those days.

[allmendream]

Assumes based upon the genetic evidence that the origins of Amerindians was Asian not European.

[org.whodat]

Probably fifty fifty, have five kids and live to the ripe old age of 35:

[Larry Lucido]

You’d have been able to get a good spot at Times Square for Dick Clark’s Rocking New Years Eve.

[MetaThought]

Certainly a higher percentage than Medieval Europe. The middle ages had problems with sanitation and food. People coming into a new continent wouldn’t have problems with either.

[Texas Eagle]

Well, yeah, but can you imagine cleaning up all that mess by yourself?

[Texas Eagle]

But just how many intrepid explorers were involved in spawning subsequent populations has not been known.

Oh, great. How much is it going to cost to figure that out?

[mountainlion]

So what about the study that says that the Cherokee had DNA form Hebrews, Greek and Phoenicians? How does Erik the Red fit in? How about the Vikings. How did the ancient Irish writing get in caves along the Mississippi? It seems they left a bunch of people out.

[Krankor]

What percentage of women were able to have 5 kids survive into adulthood 20,000 years ago without the benefit of modern medicine

Maybe a lot of these women were really, really promiscuous.
"Hey, caveman, looking for a good time?"

[Jonty30]

When I say that, if they had 5 kids, that is net. That is including the many that would die as a fetus or prior to age 5.

However, even if you knock it down to 3 kids, it would still only take a little more than 1,000 years to do that exact same thing.

My point is that the bulk of the story is probably correct. Mathematically speaking, 70 people is a reasonable starting point for a population to start from.

[Krankor]

There might have been a lot more octo-moms back then, too.

[mountainlion]

On second thought this title is really misleading. 14,000 years ago the people were nomads not settlers. My ancestors were settlers. Someone possibly wandering through a place does not mean much otherwise the moon would be ours.

[Sacajaweau]

According to my data, there were 71.

[Krankor]

Yeah, but the last one was gay.

[yarddog]

I have never done any real study of the subject but American, both North and South, Indians vary as much as other races do from each other.

I have seen pictures of Peruvians who look like they could have just been transported from China. Another group from Mexico and South, look just like the stone carvings on Aztec buildings. Hugo Chavez is a good example of them.

North American Plains Indians look like the image on the buffalo nickel and unlike any other race that I know of.

Although they were probably diluted by Scotch Irish to a great degree, Cherokee tend to look a little like Peruvian Indians except they are larger and much handsomer.

[wolfman23601]

I agree, but it still discounts the Cherokee-Greek connection. I think there is in incredible story there.

[jjotto]

How about the Cherokee-Hebrew connection?

http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2005/08/the_trail_of_te_1.html

[MestaMachine]

Not even hardly...

[maryz]

The geneticist’s study says there are only 70 separate DNA strains in the bloodlines of all AMerinds.

I don't see how they can conclude 70 individuals as opposed to 70 families or even tribes.

[LRS]

Whole lot of knowing and begatting bump...