A groundbreaking genetic analysis of ancient teeth has shattered a widely held theory about the origins of Native Americans, revealing that the ancient inhabitants of America may not be who we thought they were.
According to the theory, which is largely based on archaeological evidence found at Native American sites, the First Peoples migrated to America from Japan around 15,000 years ago. Stone tools and artifacts used by Native Americans bear similarities to those of the Jōmon people, a diverse hunter-gatherer society that thrived in ancient Japan from around 14,000–300 BCE.
Based on this evidence and the analysis of their migration patterns, it has been suggested that Native Americans traveled across the northern rim of the Pacific Ocean, crossing the Bering Land Bridge – a landmass that connected Siberia and Alaska during the last ice age – until they reached the northwest coast of North America.
While this may still hold true, a recent study published in the journal PaleoAmerica challenges the notion that Native Americans are descendants of the Jōmon people. The research, led by Professor Richard Scott of the University of Nevada-Reno, examined ancient teeth from the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific. The teeth of Native Americans showed little resemblance to those of the Jōmon people, a finding that was further supported by genetic testing.
“We found that the human biology simply doesn’t align with the archaeological theory,” explained Professor Scott in a statement. “We do not dispute the idea that ancient Native Americans arrived via the Northwest Pacific coast – only the theory that they originated with the Jōmon people in Japan.”
With only 7 percent of the Jōmon teeth samples linked to non-Arctic Native Americans, and genetic evidence supporting this, it is likely that Native Americans have a different origin.
“These people (the Jōmon) who lived in Japan 15,000 years ago are an unlikely source for Indigenous Americans. Neither the skeletal biology nor the genetics indicate a connection between Japan and America,” added Scott. “The most likely source of the Native American population appears to be Siberia.”
Although the study was limited by the age of the teeth and DNA samples from the Jōmon people, which are less than 10,000 years old and postdate the arrival of the first Native Americans, the team believes these samples are valid proxies for the Jōmon population that existed in Japan for 5-6,000 years prior.
Further evidence challenging the theory of Native Americans originating from Japan comes from the discovery of ancient footprints at White Sands National Park in New Mexico. These footprints, dating back 23,000 to 21,000 years ago, predate previous estimates of human arrival on the continent.
“In light of these findings, it is likely that the earliest migrations occurred via Asia, over the Bering Land Bridge, and into Alaska. We previously believed that humans would move south after around 16,000 years ago when the ice sheets melted and a migration corridor opened. However, the earlier date from White Sands shows that humans were already in the Americas,” explained Dr. Sally Reynolds, co-author of the team that confirmed the human-made footprints.
While it remains to be seen if the footprints are definitively linked to Native Americans, it appears that the old theory of Native Americans originating from Japan has been debunked.
“The Incipient Jomon population,” concludes Dr. Scott, “is one of the least likely sources for Native American peoples among all non-African populations.”
