Archive · 19 May 2025
Genetic Study Uncovers Indigenous American Ancestry Origins
Scientists have done a study to learn more about where Indigenous Americans came from.
They found that the first people in the Americas came from Russia a long, long time ago.
These people then split into different groups and spread out.
The study looks at the genes of people today to see how they are connected to these early settlers.
It also helps us understand why different groups of people have different traits and how they adapted to their environments.
The study is especially important for helping preserve the history of groups that are in danger of disappearing.
A genetic study traced migration from Asia to North and South America.
The first settlers arrived in the Americas between 20,000 and 30,000 years ago from modern-day Russia.
Researchers sequenced the genomes of 1,537 individuals from 139 ethnic groups.
Early settlers split into groups, adapting to different environments and becoming isolated.
The study revealed distinct genetic traits in Indigenous groups, including adaptations to extreme environments.
- Who
- Researchers, Indigenous groups in the Americas (Amazonian, Andean, Chaco Amerindian and Patagonian), and the first settlers from modern-day Russia.
- What
- A new genetic study traced prehistoric human migration from Asia to North and South America, providing insights into the ancestry of Indigenous Americans.
- When
- Between 20,000 and 30,000 years ago, the first people migrated from modern-day Russia to the Americas.
- Where
- The Americas (North and South), with ancestral origins traced to modern-day Russia.
- Why
- To understand the ancestral origins of Indigenous groups and the evolution of their genetic traits, also helping preserve the legacy of endangered cultures.
- Study Published
- May 15 in the journal Science
- Lead Author
- Elena Gusareva
- Number of Individuals Sequenced
- 1,537
- Number of Ethnic Groups
- 139
- Closest Living Relatives
- West Beringian groups
- Early Settlers Diverged
- Between 19,300 and 26,800 years ago