Study finds that some ancestors of Native Americans in the Americas included people from China!

Throughout human history and prehistory, human migration has been a common phenomenon, with people migrating for various reasons. Even with the development of agriculture, human migration continued. The study of human migration can provide fascinating insights into history.

A recent study has found that the ancestors of some Native Americans included people from China. This discovery may seem counterintuitive as prehistoric human migration did not appear to involve crossing vast water bodies such as the Pacific Ocean, which separates China and the United States.

Previously, it was widely held that the ancestors of Native Americans came from modern-day Siberia, crossing the land bridge that once linked the eastern tip of Russia to Alaska and entered the American continent.

However, this research suggests that some of the people who migrated to the Americas included those from China. The Kunming Institute of Zoology researchers studied the D4h lineage, which is associated with Mitochondrial DNA passed on to the next generation only by mothers.

They analysed 100,000 modern and 15,000 ancient DNA samples to search for D4h and ultimately identified 216 contemporary and 39 ancient individuals.

By studying the mutations that had occurred over time, and using carbon dating, the researchers were able to trace the lineage’s origin and expansion history. They found that some of the people of that lineage settled in Japan during what was called the second migration, which occurred between 19,000 and 11,500 years ago during the melting period of the then prevalent ice age.

The study sheds new light on the origin of some Native Americans, indicating that besides Siberia, northern coastal China also served as a genetic reservoir contributing to the gene pool. The researchers found a surprising link between Native Americans and some of their ancestors who came from China.

However, the specific place in northern coastal China where this expansion occurred and the specific events that promoted these migrations remain unknown.

According to Yu-Chun Li, one of the report authors, more evidence, especially ancient genomes, is needed to answer these questions. The study highlights the importance of continued research into human migration and the origins of different populations.