Thursday, April 03, 2008

pre-Clovis ancient DNA?   posted by Razib @ 4/03/2008 04:24:00 PM
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DNA from Pre-Clovis Human Coprolites in Imbler, North America:
The timing of the first human migration into the Americas and its relation to the appearance of the Clovis technological complex in North America ca. 11-10.8 thousand radiocarbon years before present (14C ka B.P.) remains contentious. We establish that humans were present at Paisley 5 Mile Point Caves, south-central Oregon, by 12,300 14C yr. B.P., through recovery of human mtDNA from coprolites, directly dated by accelerator mass spectrometry. The mtDNA corresponds to Native American founding haplogroups A2 and B2. The dates of the coprolites are >1000 14C years earlier than currently accepted dates for the Clovis-complex.


ScienceDaily has a really long review of the results & their implications. Also check out A Three-Stage Colonization Model for the Peopling of the Americas.

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