
Getting Unstuck – Cultivating Curiosity 358: Rewriting the Peopling of the Americas: A Genetic Journey Through Time
Professor Raff discusses how genetic evidence has changed our understanding of the peopling of the Americas. Rather than a simple crossing of the Bering Land Bridge 13,000 years ago, DNA research suggests a more complex story involving population isolation during the Last Glacial Maximum (26,000-20,000 years ago), followed by multiple migration waves. Recent discoveries, like footprints at White Sands dating to 25,000+ years ago, continue to challenge existing theories.
Three Important Takeaways-
Genetic evidence shows the ancestors of indigenous Americans descended from an isolated East Asian population that experienced gene flow with ancient North Siberians around 25,000 years ago.
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Beringia wasn't just a narrow "land bridge" but a lost continent twice the size of Texas, with its southern coast relatively habitable during the Last Glacial Maximum.
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Research in this field requires a multidisciplinary approach that respectfully incorporates indigenous knowledge and perspectives alongside scientific methods.
Origin: A Generic History of the Americas
https://anthropology.ku.edu/people/jennifer-raff
