Nature Communications (Mar 2022)
South-to-north migration preceded the advent of intensive farming in the Maya region
- Douglas J. Kennett,
- Mark Lipson,
- Keith M. Prufer,
- David Mora-Marín,
- Richard J. George,
- Nadin Rohland,
- Mark Robinson,
- Willa R. Trask,
- Heather H. J. Edgar,
- Ethan C. Hill,
- Erin E. Ray,
- Paige Lynch,
- Emily Moes,
- Lexi O’Donnell,
- Thomas K. Harper,
- Emily J. Kate,
- Josue Ramos,
- John Morris,
- Said M. Gutierrez,
- Timothy M. Ryan,
- Brendan J. Culleton,
- Jaime J. Awe,
- David Reich
Affiliations
- Douglas J. Kennett
- Department of Anthropology, University of California
- Mark Lipson
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School
- Keith M. Prufer
- Department Anthropology, University of New Mexico
- David Mora-Marín
- Department of Linguistics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Richard J. George
- Department of Anthropology, University of California
- Nadin Rohland
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School
- Mark Robinson
- Department of Archaeology, Exeter University
- Willa R. Trask
- Central Identification Laboratory, Defense POW/ MIA Accounting Agency, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam
- Heather H. J. Edgar
- Department Anthropology, University of New Mexico
- Ethan C. Hill
- Department Anthropology, University of New Mexico
- Erin E. Ray
- Department Anthropology, University of New Mexico
- Paige Lynch
- Department Anthropology, University of New Mexico
- Emily Moes
- Department Anthropology, University of New Mexico
- Lexi O’Donnell
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Mississippi, University
- Thomas K. Harper
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University
- Emily J. Kate
- Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science, University of Vienna
- Josue Ramos
- Belize Institute of Archaeology
- John Morris
- Belize Institute of Archaeology
- Said M. Gutierrez
- Ya’axché Conservation Trust
- Timothy M. Ryan
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University
- Brendan J. Culleton
- Institutes of Energy and the Environment, The Pennsylvania State University
- Jaime J. Awe
- Belize Institute of Archaeology
- David Reich
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29158-y
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 13,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 10
Abstract
The genetic prehistory of central America has not been well explored. Here, the authors find evidence from ancient DNA from twenty individuals who lived in Belize 9,600 to 3,700 years ago of a migration from the south that coincided with the first evidence for forest clearing and the spread of maize horticulture.
