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Why this study is very important...

Posted by kambizkamrani on 12 Mar 2008 at 04:23 GMT

I've been asked to comment on this paper, but I have written up a review of the study and its significance on my weblog about a month ago. I did notice another thread where mrund, someone speaking on behalf of archaeology, raised concerns about how this research is relevant, especially when the archaeology isn't there or tells a different story.

I think the reasons as to why this study is important is exemplified by the fact that there is conflicting evidence solely looking at the archaeology. Clovis typology is significantly different from Siberian archaeology, and is thought to have diverged over a much larger time frame. This study provides exactly that, it extends the time frame of the first migrations into the Americas and resolves some of the biggest temporal problems in understanding how the Americas was peopled.

What I'm getting at is that genetic research is relevant because it supplements other lines of evidence. It may not directly compliment and give a uniform story, but it does fill in some of the holes and allows us to rethink current hypotheses with multiple lines of evidence.

Kambiz