News Anthropology

Teen’s skeleton ties New World settlers to Native Americans

Underwater find in Mexico offers peek at genetic heritage of ancient Asian arrivals

Underwater cave discovery in Mexico shows genetic range of New World’s ancient Asian colonists. 

Paul Nicklen/National Geographic

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

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Support for a genetic connection between the first Americans and modern Native Americans has come from the submerged remains of a teenage girl who lived between 12,000 and 13,000 years ago in what’s now Mexico.