Ancient human parallel lineages within North America contributed to a coastal expansion

• DOI: 10.1126/science.aar6851
• Publication Date: 2018-06-04T08:46:07Z
• Authors: C. L. Scheib; Hongjie Li; Tariq Desai; Vivian Link; Christopher Kendall; Genevieve Dewar; Peter William Gri...; Alexander Mörseburg; John R. Johnson; Amiee Potter; Susan L. Kerr; Phillip Endicott; John Lindo; Marc Haber; Yali Xue; Chris Tyler-Smith; Manjinder S. Sandhu; Joseph G. Lorenz; Tori D. Randall; Zuzana Faltyskova; Luca Pagani; Petr Danecek; Tamsin C. O’Connell; Patricia Martz; Alan S. Boraas; Brian F. Byrd; Alan Leventhal; Rosemary Cambra; Ronald Williamson; Louis Lesage; Brian Holguin; Ernestine Ygnacio...; JohnTommy Rosas; Mait Metspalu; Jay T. Stock; Andrea Manica; Aylwyn Scally; Daniel Wegmann; Ripan S. Malhi; Toomas Kivisild
• Keywords: Ancient DNA; Icelandic; Human migration; Founder effect; Settlement (finance)

Founder effects in modern populations The genomes of ancient humans can reveal patterns early human migration (see the Perspective by Achilli et al. ). Iceland has a genetically distinct population, despite relatively recent settlement (∼1100 years ago). Ebenesersdóttir examined Icelandic people, dating to near colonization Iceland, and compared them with modernday populations. DNA revealed that founders had Gaelic Norse origins. Genetic drift since initial left Icelanders allele frequencies are distinctive, although still skewed toward those their founders. Scheib sequenced from Channel Islands California, USA, Ontario, Canada. Ontario population was similar other North Americans, as well Algonquian-speaking Native Americans. In contrast, California individuals were more like groups now live Mexico South America. It appears genetic split isolation likely occurred during Ice Age, but peoples remixed at later date. Science , this issue p. 1028 1024 ; see also 964