We have contributed to a series of papers that described ancient genomes from all the way from Alaska – where it began – to the East Coast of Brazil, where it got complicated. It is a fascinatingly complex story of movement, connections, and separations in the last major continents to be populated by our species.
The first paper, led by Alber Aqil under the supervision of Dr. Charlotte Lindqvist, describes a 3,000-year-old genome from Southeast Alaska. This genome hints at some level of maternal genetic continuity in the region and sheds light on ancient population movements and interactions in this pivotal region. Here are the links to the paper and the press release.
The second paper, led by Andre Luiz Campelo dos Santos under the supervision of Dr. John Lindo, add new dimensions to understanding of peopling of Americas. Specifically, ancient genomes from Northeast Brazil indicates reveals previously unknown ancient migration routes along South America’s Atlantic coast. To add to this new finding, the results provide evidence for the controversial notion that Australasian connection to Americas. Here are the links for the paper and the press release.
Together, both of these studies add to the quilt pattern of stories that shape the history of Americas over thousands of years.
Buffalo Evolutionary and Anthropological Genomics Laboratory (BEAGL) 