Testing evolutionary and dispersion scenarios for the settlement of the new world.

Discussion surrounding the settlement of the New World has recently gained momentum with advances in molecular biology, archaeology and bioanthropology. Recent evidence from these diverse fields is found to support different colonization scenarios. The currently available genetic evidence suggests a...

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Main Authors: Mark Hubbe, Walter A Neves, Katerina Harvati
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2010-06-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2885431?pdf=render
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author Mark Hubbe
Walter A Neves
Katerina Harvati
author_facet Mark Hubbe
Walter A Neves
Katerina Harvati
author_sort Mark Hubbe
collection DOAJ
description Discussion surrounding the settlement of the New World has recently gained momentum with advances in molecular biology, archaeology and bioanthropology. Recent evidence from these diverse fields is found to support different colonization scenarios. The currently available genetic evidence suggests a "single migration" model, in which both early and later Native American groups derive from one expansion event into the continent. In contrast, the pronounced anatomical differences between early and late Native American populations have led others to propose more complex scenarios, involving separate colonization events of the New World and a distinct origin for these groups.USING LARGE SAMPLES OF EARLY AMERICAN CRANIA, WE: 1) calculated the rate of morphological differentiation between Early and Late American samples under three different time divergence assumptions, and compared our findings to the predicted morphological differentiation under neutral conditions in each case; and 2) further tested three dispersal scenarios for the colonization of the New World by comparing the morphological distances among early and late Amerindians, East Asians, Australo-Melanesians and early modern humans from Asia to geographical distances associated with each dispersion model. Results indicate that the assumption of a last shared common ancestor outside the continent better explains the observed morphological differences between early and late American groups. This result is corroborated by our finding that a model comprising two Asian waves of migration coming through Bering into the Americas fits the cranial anatomical evidence best, especially when the effects of diversifying selection to climate are taken into account.We conclude that the morphological diversity documented through time in the New World is best accounted for by a model postulating two waves of human expansion into the continent originating in East Asia and entering through Beringia.
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spelling doaj.art-771384442dcb4c93a34bdcba30c8eea72022-12-22T03:18:06ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032010-06-0156e1110510.1371/journal.pone.0011105Testing evolutionary and dispersion scenarios for the settlement of the new world.Mark HubbeWalter A NevesKaterina HarvatiDiscussion surrounding the settlement of the New World has recently gained momentum with advances in molecular biology, archaeology and bioanthropology. Recent evidence from these diverse fields is found to support different colonization scenarios. The currently available genetic evidence suggests a "single migration" model, in which both early and later Native American groups derive from one expansion event into the continent. In contrast, the pronounced anatomical differences between early and late Native American populations have led others to propose more complex scenarios, involving separate colonization events of the New World and a distinct origin for these groups.USING LARGE SAMPLES OF EARLY AMERICAN CRANIA, WE: 1) calculated the rate of morphological differentiation between Early and Late American samples under three different time divergence assumptions, and compared our findings to the predicted morphological differentiation under neutral conditions in each case; and 2) further tested three dispersal scenarios for the colonization of the New World by comparing the morphological distances among early and late Amerindians, East Asians, Australo-Melanesians and early modern humans from Asia to geographical distances associated with each dispersion model. Results indicate that the assumption of a last shared common ancestor outside the continent better explains the observed morphological differences between early and late American groups. This result is corroborated by our finding that a model comprising two Asian waves of migration coming through Bering into the Americas fits the cranial anatomical evidence best, especially when the effects of diversifying selection to climate are taken into account.We conclude that the morphological diversity documented through time in the New World is best accounted for by a model postulating two waves of human expansion into the continent originating in East Asia and entering through Beringia.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2885431?pdf=render
spellingShingle Mark Hubbe
Walter A Neves
Katerina Harvati
Testing evolutionary and dispersion scenarios for the settlement of the new world.
PLoS ONE
title Testing evolutionary and dispersion scenarios for the settlement of the new world.
title_full Testing evolutionary and dispersion scenarios for the settlement of the new world.
title_fullStr Testing evolutionary and dispersion scenarios for the settlement of the new world.
title_full_unstemmed Testing evolutionary and dispersion scenarios for the settlement of the new world.
title_short Testing evolutionary and dispersion scenarios for the settlement of the new world.
title_sort testing evolutionary and dispersion scenarios for the settlement of the new world
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2885431?pdf=render
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