Year in review: Native Americans are Kennewick kin
DNA analysis shows close ties to present-day groups
NATIVE RELATIVE This year, scientists analyzed the genetics of Kennewick Man, nearly two decades after the skeleton's discovery. The skull is similar to that of Polynesians, but DNA suggests a link to Native Americans.
Chip Clark/Smithsonian Institution
Kennewick Man, whose 8,500-year-old skeleton sparked a controversy when it was found in Washington state, was a relative of present-day Native Americans, researchers reported this year.