Posted on 02/22/2008 6:51:51 AM PST by blam
Genetic study ties Siberians to people in Americas By Will Dunham
Thu Feb 21, 5:08 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People indigenous to Siberia have strong genetic links to native peoples in the Americas, according to a study further supporting the theory that humans first entered the Americas over a land bridge across the Bering Strait.
Scientists at Stanford University in California combed through the genes of 938 people from 51 places, looking at 650,000 DNA locations in each person.
The study, in the journal Science on Thursday, revealed similarities and differences among various populations.
"This is the highest resolution look at population genetics that has been done to date, both in terms of the number of populations that have been studied and in terms of the number of (genetic) markers used," researcher Devin Absher of the Stanford Human Genome Center said in a telephone interview.
One striking finding was the genetic similarities between the Yakut people, who live in Siberia, and several native populations from Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Brazil, the researchers said. These include the Maya in Central America and the Surui and Karitiana in Brazil.
"That's really an indication of shared ancestry," Absher said.
This fits into the theory that humans migrated into the Americas from Siberia along a now-vanished land bridge across the Bering Strait between perhaps 12,000 and 30,000 years ago.
Previous research suggested a genetic link, finding that a unique genetic mutation is shared by native peoples in Siberia and the Americas, but the new findings offer deeper genetic evidence.
The scientists also were able to detect genetic differences between northern and southern Chinese populations as well as variations within the Bedouin populations of the Middle East.
"With the massive new amounts of data, we are able to tease out the subtle differences between different European populations, or between northern Chinese and southern Chinese, and that has never been possible," said Marcus Feldman, a Stanford professor of biological sciences.
The publication of the research came a day after two other important studies on human genetic variation appeared in the journal Nature. Scientists say these papers together offer strong evidence for the "Out of Africa" theory that humans originated in Africa and migrated to colonize the rest of the world in several waves.
The study showed that human populations have less genetic diversity the farther they are away from Africa.
That would be the case, the researchers said, if the people migrating out of Africa represented only a small fraction of the original African population. These migrating people would go on to establish new, less genetically diverse populations around the world, they added.
Hey look! They have 2 eyes in Siberia and two eyes in America!!
WOO_HOO!
[Sometimes there’s a real “gns” about this stuff...]
btt
Thanks for today's first genuine laugh. It's an ironic laugh, though, when I realize people with power take this stuff seriously and divvy up money and special "rights" on that basis. I wonder if anyone's ever going to do a genetic study to find out who all those "indigenous" people displaced?
I think that was part of the stink about Kenniwick Man, the one the Indians wanted to bury and prevent scientists from studying. The preliminary findings were, I think, that his bone structure was very different than Indians and the dating suggested he might have been part of a group of earlier, racially distinct settlers who were wiped out by the current Indians.
This was the one that was fought in the courts for years ended finally when Clinton did a fait accomplait by ordering the Army Corps of Engineers to bury the site under thousands of tons of rubble.
Further proof that there is no such thing as a “Native American”. Even the Indians are immigrants to this land.
Scientists win Kennewick Man ruling
Also, see the 'Vintage Skulls' link in post #19 to further your understanding of prehistoric America.
John McCain has a provision contained in a bill that is presently in the house that would deny scientists the opportunity to study any bones in America, the bones would be given directly to the Indians regardless of any affiliation
Maybe the Mexicans? They're not bound by the (Good Intention) NAGPRA
Maybe the first Siberians are all from America...
Excellent point.
But let me see if I can get this straight on another level. Things are never as simple as they seem:
If we all came out of Africa, that indicates to me that all the overachievers left. Those with small IQs were left behind; therefore, the original natives…our ancestors…continue to live in loincloths or something and continue to use spears. Did they ever learn about the wheel?
I really think I am on to something.
If you know, what ever happened to the site Clinton had the ACOE bury?
That is the site where Kennewick Man was found. It's still buried.
James Taranto's column for the WSJ Online today has a funny headline involving "Kennewick Man."
Ping
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Thanks Blam and Pharmboy. I'm about to do the Digest, and there have been a raft of these, including a similar one, so no ping. :') |
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