Ancient DNA provides new insights into the early peopling of the Caribbean

New study reveals multiple waves of settlement and connections to the American mainland
Date:
June 4, 2020
Source:
University of Copenhagen The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Summary:
According to a new study by an international team of researchers from the Caribbean, Europe and North America, the Caribbean was settled by several successive population dispersals that originated on the American mainland.


According to a new study by an international team of researchers from the Caribbean, Europe and North America, the Caribbean was settled by several successive population dispersals that originated on the American mainland.

The Caribbean was one of the last regions of the Americas to be settled by humans. Now, a new study published in the journal Science sheds new light on how the islands were settled thousands of years ago.

Using ancient DNA, a team of archaeologists and geneticists led by researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History found evidence of at least three population dispersals that brought people to the region.

"The new data give us a fascinating glimpse of the early migration history of the Caribbean. We find evidence that the islands were settled and resettled several times from different parts of the American mainland," says Hannes Schroeder, Associate Professor at the Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, and one of the senior authors of the study.

More data, more details

The researchers analysed the genomes of 93 ancient Caribbean islanders who lived between 400 and 3200 years ago using bone fragments excavated by Caribbean archaeologists from 16 archaeological sites across the region.

More:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200604152119.htm