Ancient Beringian
In 2013, archaeologists uncovered the remains of two female infants at the Upward Sun River site in interior Alaska. This location belongs to the Denali Complex, a dispersed archaeological culture of the American Arctic. The older infant, designated USR1, dates back approximately 11,500 years. Researchers found these remains while excavating the riverbank where the ancient people once lived. The discovery provided a rare physical link to populations that inhabited Beringia during the Last Glacial Maximum. Scientists later determined this individual represented a distinct genetic lineage now known as Ancient Beringian.
The Centre for Geogenetics at the University of Copenhagen's Natural History Museum of Denmark conducted nuclear DNA sequencing on the older infant. Their team published results in January 2018 within the scientific journal Nature. The analysis compared the infant's genomes against both ancient and contemporary human samples. This process allowed researchers to identify specific genetic markers unique to the population. They traced the ancestry of USR1 back through thousands of years of migration patterns. The study revealed how East Asian lineages mixed with Ancient North Eurasian groups over time.
Approximately twenty thousand years ago, the Ancient Beringian lineage split from the Ancestral Native American lineage. Before this divergence, the Ancestral Native American group formed between 20,000 and 25,000 years ago. It emerged from a mixture of roughly 65 percent East Asian ancestry and about 35 percent Ancient North Eurasian ancestry. This combination reflects the peopling of the Americas via Beringia during the Last Glacial Maximum. The Ancient Beringian branch persisted without significant admixture until the death of USR1 some 8,000 years later. Other Paleo-Indian populations diverged from this group around 20,000 to 18,000 years ago.
The Ancient Beringian lineage is extinct and does not appear as a contribution to modern indigenous lineages in Alaska. A 2018 study suggests the population was absorbed or replaced by a back-migration of North Native Americans into Alaska. Modern Athabaskan populations derive from an admixture of this North Native American back-migration and a Paleo-Siberian lineage. This mixing occurred before approximately 2,500 years ago. Present-day Na-Dene speakers occupy the region where USR1 once lived. Genetic evidence indicates that Asian-derived ancestry entered the Americas after 11,500 years ago.
Contemporary Na-Dene speaking populations in the region carry genetic signatures distinct from the ancient infant USR1. These groups emerged from an admixture event between North Native American and Siberian populations well after 11,500 years ago. The geographic distribution of the Na-Dene language family aligns with these genetic findings. Results show that such ancestry components entered the Americas long after the death of the Upward Sun River child. The study confirms that most Na-Dene speakers descend from later migrations rather than direct descendants of the Ancient Beringian group. This pattern highlights how populations shifted and mixed over millennia across northern North America.
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Common questions
What is the Ancient Beringian lineage?
The Ancient Beringian lineage is an extinct archaeogenetic group that inhabited Beringia during the Last Glacial Maximum. This distinct genetic population split from the Ancestral Native American lineage approximately twenty thousand years ago and persisted without significant admixture until the death of USR1 some 8,000 years later.
When was the Ancient Beringian infant discovered at Upward Sun River?
Archaeologists uncovered the remains of two female infants including USR1 in 2013 at the Upward Sun River site in interior Alaska. The older infant dates back approximately 11,500 years and represents a rare physical link to populations that lived there during the Last Glacial Maximum.
Who conducted the nuclear DNA sequencing on the Ancient Beringian infant?
Researchers from the Centre for Geogenetics at the University of Copenhagen's Natural History Museum of Denmark performed the nuclear DNA sequencing on the older infant. Their team published results in January 2018 within the scientific journal Nature after comparing the infant's genomes against both ancient and contemporary human samples.
How did the Ancient Beringian lineage form genetically?
The Ancient Beringian lineage formed when East Asian lineages mixed with Ancient North Eurasian groups over time before splitting from the Ancestral Native American group. This combination reflects the peopling of the Americas via Beringia during the Last Glacial Maximum and emerged between 20,000 and 25,000 years ago.
Why is the Ancient Beringian lineage considered extinct today?
The Ancient Beringian lineage is extinct because it does not appear as a contribution to modern indigenous lineages in Alaska or elsewhere. A 2018 study suggests the population was absorbed or replaced by a back-migration of North Native Americans into Alaska before approximately 2,500 years ago.