News Anthropology

Kennewick Man’s DNA links him to present-day Native Americans

Genetic data refute studies suggesting the ancient Pacific Northwesterner was Polynesian

Kennewick Man’s skeleton

NATIVE GUY  DNA from 8,500-year-old Kennewick Man’s skeleton indicates that he shared ancestry with modern Native Americans and perhaps was closely related to Northwest tribes that want to rebury his bones.

CHIP CLARK/SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

Native Americans can claim Kennewick Man as one of their own, an analysis of DNA from one of the ancient individual’s bones finds.