A riverside skeleton changed what researchers thought they knew about how the first Americans were

Kennewick Man is perhaps one of the most controversial ancient skeletons discovered in North America to date. It was excavated in 1996 in the vicinity of the Columbia River in Washington, according to a paper published in Nature. The archaeologists established that the bones of the person belonged to an epoch that had lasted over 8,000 years ago. However, a more heated discussion revolved around the following questions: whose were the bones?

Initially, some researchers concluded that the peculiarities of the skull were different from those of current-day Native American people and concluded that the skeleton belonged to a separate migratory wave. However, ancient DNA analysis has totally turned the discussion upside down.

Using genome sequencing, scientists have found out that the genetic profile of Kennewick Man was most closely associated with modern Native Americans from the Pacific Northwest region. This research has taught scientists the importance of rethinking the approach to ancient ancestry and the risks of focusing only on morphological characteristics.


Why was this skeleton controversial?

For years, there were those anthropologists who focused entirely on skeletal traits, like skull morphology, to infer about the ancestry of an individual. In the case of Kennewick, a number of scholars have found that the skull morphology was more akin to other populations who were not part of any modern-day Native American community. This observation was quickly disputed.

According to the paper published in Nature, these claims were based mostly on morphological characteristics, not genetic studies. It is not surprising since skull morphologies can vary within a population group and not necessarily signify another ancestry. Human biology evolves over the ages and is influenced by environmental and adaptational factors, too.

In due course, the issue took on a non-scientific turn as Indigenous groups residing in the Pacific Northwest claimed the skull as belonging to their ancestors, as per the Burke Meseum. They demanded repatriation according to the federal law. Consequently, the skull acquired both scientific and legal dimensions in addition to the anthropological one.

The DNA evidence altered the discussion

In 2015, ancient DNA testing shed new light on the matter. According to the genome study, Kennewick Man showed more similarities genetically with Native Americans compared to any other group examined. In addition, scientists observed an especially strong relationship between the ancient man's DNA and that of the Colville tribe in Washington State. This contradicts previous studies that used skull features to classify Kennewick Man.

In the report published in PubMed Central, the researchers highlighted how genetic information offered a better way of determining ancestry than comparing physical characteristics.

Genetic sequencing presented challenges due to the deteriorated nature of the ancient DNA over many years. It was necessary to eliminate any contamination to create a usable genetic sample. According to Nature, even after accounting for the degraded state of the DNA, the genomic analysis still gave a clear signal of Indigenous Americans. This changed the opinion in the scientific community completely.

What the genome revealed about the first Americans

According to a 2021 review in Science, many early populations in the Americas had profound ancestry ties because they all migrated from northern Eurasia via Beringia many years ago. As they moved across continents, these early Americans became distinct in some aspects, but they retained their close genetic connections due to a long history and adaptation to migration.

Thus, scientists argue that the first Americans were not homogenous people, but rather a set of diverse Indigenous populations with strong ancestry ties. A significant review by Nature found another reason behind the complex ancestry of Native Americans. It turns out that ancient DNA reveals the link between them and northern Eurasian populations prior to their migration. This explains why physical appearance alone cannot give accurate results in this matter.

Why were scientists more careful with skull shape?

One event made researchers much more careful with their findings. In the 2021 review, scientists argued that the new discoveries completely disprove older hypotheses regarding the relation of skull shapes to ancestry in the Americas. Combining skeletal analysis with the findings from genetics is what scientists recommend in modern times.

While it is still believed that bones contain lots of data related to age, health, lifestyle, and evolution, ancestry based on physical traits alone is taken with more skepticism today. The situation was also an example showing why it is important to consult Indigenous groups when conducting archaeological excavations.

It was decided to return the remains to tribes in the Pacific Northwest to be reburied in 2017 after numerous lawsuits. The University of Washington explained that genetic evidence significantly influenced this decision.

In the present day, the case of Kennewick Man can serve as a good illustration of how DNA technologies have changed the understanding of ancient human history. It turned out that something which seemed non-related to Native Americans at first had actually helped to prove their uninterrupted presence throughout millennia. In such a way, the skeleton itself could not rewrite history.