[steplock]

Wasn't the real reason for the battle AGAINST the scientist that this appears to be the skeleton of a CAUCASIAN and not a mongolian (Amer Indian origins)?

[blam]

Here's the scoop from the man who did most of the work on Kennewick Man, James Chatters:

Kennewick Man (Encounter With An Ancestor)

"The man lacks definitive characteristics of the classic mongoloid stock to which modern Native Americans belong. The skull is dolichocranic (cranial index 73.8) rather than brachycranic, the face narrow and prognathous rather than broad and flat. Cheek bones recede slightly and lack an inferior zygomatic projection; the lower rim of the orbit is even with the upper. Other features are a long, broad nose that projects markedly from the face and high, round orbits. The mandible is v-shaped,with a pronounced, deep chin. Many of these characteristics are definitive of modern-day caucasoid peoples, while others, such as the orbits are typical of neither race. Dental characteristics fit Turner's (1983) Sundadont pattern, indicating possible relationship to south Asian peoples."

[Question_Assumptions]

Morphologically "caucasian-like" but probably not genetically caucasian. The Ainu of Japan look "caucasian" but they are genetically Asian. They have the technology to do gene testing, which is exactly what is being blocked here. There are isolated groups of American Indians with a DNA type that is only found in Europe. If I had to guess, I'd say that there were probably several migrations of humans to the Americans before the ancestors of the current Indians got here -- most from various parts of Asia and possibly other migrations from Europe. One needs to be careful when playing the "My people where here first!" game.

What makes this troubling to some is that there is a mythology that only Europeans conquer and murder but the archaeological record shows otherwise. It's pretty standard human behavior around the world and the noble and peaceful savage is a myth.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Doubt it, since "Kennewick Man" was most likely not Caucosoid either - more than likely of South Asian origin, I'm guessing.