The ancestry and affiliations of Kennewick Man

Morten Rasmussen; Martin Sikora; Anders Albrechtsen; Thorfinn Sand Korneliussen; José Victor Moreno Mayar; G. David Poznik; Christoph P. E. Zollikofer; Marcia S. Ponce de León; Morten Erik Allentoft; Ida Moltke; Hákon Jónsson; Cristina E. Valdiosera Morales; Ripan S. Malhi; Ludovic Antoine Alexandre Orlando; Carlos D. Bustamante; Thomas Stafford jr.; David J. Meltzer; Rasmus Nielsen; Eske Willerslev

doi:10.1038/nature14625

The ancestry and affiliations of Kennewick Man

Morten Rasmussen, Martin Sikora, Anders Albrechtsen, Thorfinn Sand Korneliussen, José Victor Moreno Mayar, G. David Poznik, Christoph P. E. Zollikofer, Marcia S. Ponce de León, Morten Erik Allentoft, Ida Moltke, Hákon Jónsson, Cristina E. Valdiosera Morales, Ripan S. Malhi, Ludovic Antoine Alexandre Orlando, Carlos D. Bustamante, Thomas Stafford jr., David J. Meltzer, Rasmus Nielsen, Eske Willerslev

Computational and RNA Biology

118 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

Kennewick Man, referred to as the Ancient One by Native Americans, is a male human skeleton discovered in Washington state (USA) in 1996 and initially radiocarbon dated to 8,340-9,200 calibrated years before present (BP). His population affinities have been the subject of scientific debate and legal controversy. Based on an initial study of cranial morphology it was asserted that Kennewick Man was neither Native American nor closely related to the claimant Plateau tribes of the Pacific Northwest, who claimed ancestral relationship and requested repatriation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The morphological analysis was important to judicial decisions that Kennewick Man was not Native American and that therefore NAGPRA did not apply. Instead of repatriation, additional studies of the remains were permitted. Subsequent craniometric analysis affirmed Kennewick Man to be more closely related to circumpacific groups such as the Ainu and Polynesians than he is to modern Native Americans. In order to resolve Kennewick Man's ancestry and affiliations, we have sequenced his genome to ∼1× coverage and compared it to worldwide genomic data including for the Ainu and Polynesians. We find that Kennewick Man is closer to modern Native Americans than to any other population worldwide. Among the Native American groups for whom genome-wide data are available for comparison, several seem to be descended from a population closely related to that of Kennewick Man, including the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (Colville), one of the five tribes claiming Kennewick Man. We revisit the cranial analyses and find that, as opposed to genome-wide comparisons, it is not possible on that basis to affiliate Kennewick Man to specific contemporary groups. We therefore conclude based on genetic comparisons that Kennewick Man shows continuity with Native North Americans over at least the last eight millennia.

Original language	English
Journal	Nature
Volume	523
Issue number	7561
Pages (from-to)	455-458
Number of pages	4
ISSN	0028-0836
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14625
Publication status	Published - 18 Jun 2015

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Rasmussen_2015_The_ancestryFinal published version, 11.6 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-SA

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Rasmussen, M., Sikora, M., Albrechtsen, A., Korneliussen, T. S., Moreno Mayar, J. V., Poznik, G. D., Zollikofer, C. P. E., Ponce de León, M. S., Allentoft, M. E., Moltke, I., Jónsson, H., Valdiosera Morales, C. E., Malhi, R. S., Orlando, L. A. A., Bustamante, C. D., Stafford jr., T., Meltzer, D. J., Nielsen, R., & Willerslev, E. (2015). The ancestry and affiliations of Kennewick Man. Nature, 523(7561), 455-458. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14625

Rasmussen, M, Sikora, M , Albrechtsen, A , Korneliussen, TS , Moreno Mayar, JV, Poznik, GD, Zollikofer, CPE, Ponce de León, MS, Allentoft, ME , Moltke, I, Jónsson, H, Valdiosera Morales, CE, Malhi, RS, Orlando, LAA, Bustamante, CD, Stafford jr., T, Meltzer, DJ, Nielsen, R & Willerslev, E 2015, 'The ancestry and affiliations of Kennewick Man', Nature, vol. 523, no. 7561, pp. 455-458. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14625

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title = "The ancestry and affiliations of Kennewick Man",

abstract = "Kennewick Man, referred to as the Ancient One by Native Americans, is a male human skeleton discovered in Washington state (USA) in 1996 and initially radiocarbon dated to 8,340-9,200 calibrated years before present (BP). His population affinities have been the subject of scientific debate and legal controversy. Based on an initial study of cranial morphology it was asserted that Kennewick Man was neither Native American nor closely related to the claimant Plateau tribes of the Pacific Northwest, who claimed ancestral relationship and requested repatriation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The morphological analysis was important to judicial decisions that Kennewick Man was not Native American and that therefore NAGPRA did not apply. Instead of repatriation, additional studies of the remains were permitted. Subsequent craniometric analysis affirmed Kennewick Man to be more closely related to circumpacific groups such as the Ainu and Polynesians than he is to modern Native Americans. In order to resolve Kennewick Man's ancestry and affiliations, we have sequenced his genome to ∼1× coverage and compared it to worldwide genomic data including for the Ainu and Polynesians. We find that Kennewick Man is closer to modern Native Americans than to any other population worldwide. Among the Native American groups for whom genome-wide data are available for comparison, several seem to be descended from a population closely related to that of Kennewick Man, including the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (Colville), one of the five tribes claiming Kennewick Man. We revisit the cranial analyses and find that, as opposed to genome-wide comparisons, it is not possible on that basis to affiliate Kennewick Man to specific contemporary groups. We therefore conclude based on genetic comparisons that Kennewick Man shows continuity with Native North Americans over at least the last eight millennia.",

author = "Morten Rasmussen and Martin Sikora and Anders Albrechtsen and Korneliussen, {Thorfinn Sand} and {Moreno Mayar}, {Jos{\'e} Victor} and Poznik, {G. David} and Zollikofer, {Christoph P. E.} and {Ponce de Le{\'o}n}, {Marcia S.} and Allentoft, {Morten Erik} and Ida Moltke and H{\'a}kon J{\'o}nsson and {Valdiosera Morales}, {Cristina E.} and Malhi, {Ripan S.} and Orlando, {Ludovic Antoine Alexandre} and Bustamante, {Carlos D.} and {Stafford jr.}, Thomas and Meltzer, {David J.} and Rasmus Nielsen and Eske Willerslev",

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T1 - The ancestry and affiliations of Kennewick Man

AU - Rasmussen, Morten

AU - Sikora, Martin

AU - Albrechtsen, Anders

AU - Korneliussen, Thorfinn Sand

AU - Moreno Mayar, José Victor

AU - Poznik, G. David

AU - Zollikofer, Christoph P. E.

AU - Ponce de León, Marcia S.

AU - Allentoft, Morten Erik

AU - Moltke, Ida

AU - Jónsson, Hákon

AU - Valdiosera Morales, Cristina E.

AU - Malhi, Ripan S.

AU - Orlando, Ludovic Antoine Alexandre

AU - Bustamante, Carlos D.

AU - Stafford jr., Thomas

AU - Meltzer, David J.

AU - Nielsen, Rasmus

AU - Willerslev, Eske

PY - 2015/6/18

Y1 - 2015/6/18

N2 - Kennewick Man, referred to as the Ancient One by Native Americans, is a male human skeleton discovered in Washington state (USA) in 1996 and initially radiocarbon dated to 8,340-9,200 calibrated years before present (BP). His population affinities have been the subject of scientific debate and legal controversy. Based on an initial study of cranial morphology it was asserted that Kennewick Man was neither Native American nor closely related to the claimant Plateau tribes of the Pacific Northwest, who claimed ancestral relationship and requested repatriation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The morphological analysis was important to judicial decisions that Kennewick Man was not Native American and that therefore NAGPRA did not apply. Instead of repatriation, additional studies of the remains were permitted. Subsequent craniometric analysis affirmed Kennewick Man to be more closely related to circumpacific groups such as the Ainu and Polynesians than he is to modern Native Americans. In order to resolve Kennewick Man's ancestry and affiliations, we have sequenced his genome to ∼1× coverage and compared it to worldwide genomic data including for the Ainu and Polynesians. We find that Kennewick Man is closer to modern Native Americans than to any other population worldwide. Among the Native American groups for whom genome-wide data are available for comparison, several seem to be descended from a population closely related to that of Kennewick Man, including the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (Colville), one of the five tribes claiming Kennewick Man. We revisit the cranial analyses and find that, as opposed to genome-wide comparisons, it is not possible on that basis to affiliate Kennewick Man to specific contemporary groups. We therefore conclude based on genetic comparisons that Kennewick Man shows continuity with Native North Americans over at least the last eight millennia.

AB - Kennewick Man, referred to as the Ancient One by Native Americans, is a male human skeleton discovered in Washington state (USA) in 1996 and initially radiocarbon dated to 8,340-9,200 calibrated years before present (BP). His population affinities have been the subject of scientific debate and legal controversy. Based on an initial study of cranial morphology it was asserted that Kennewick Man was neither Native American nor closely related to the claimant Plateau tribes of the Pacific Northwest, who claimed ancestral relationship and requested repatriation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The morphological analysis was important to judicial decisions that Kennewick Man was not Native American and that therefore NAGPRA did not apply. Instead of repatriation, additional studies of the remains were permitted. Subsequent craniometric analysis affirmed Kennewick Man to be more closely related to circumpacific groups such as the Ainu and Polynesians than he is to modern Native Americans. In order to resolve Kennewick Man's ancestry and affiliations, we have sequenced his genome to ∼1× coverage and compared it to worldwide genomic data including for the Ainu and Polynesians. We find that Kennewick Man is closer to modern Native Americans than to any other population worldwide. Among the Native American groups for whom genome-wide data are available for comparison, several seem to be descended from a population closely related to that of Kennewick Man, including the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (Colville), one of the five tribes claiming Kennewick Man. We revisit the cranial analyses and find that, as opposed to genome-wide comparisons, it is not possible on that basis to affiliate Kennewick Man to specific contemporary groups. We therefore conclude based on genetic comparisons that Kennewick Man shows continuity with Native North Americans over at least the last eight millennia.

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DO - 10.1038/nature14625

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SN - 0028-0836

VL - 523

SP - 455

EP - 458

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

IS - 7561

ER -

The ancestry and affiliations of Kennewick Man

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