Research on Ice Age burials offers new insight

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) – Genetic research into the ancient remains of two infants found near the Tanana River may have revealed how the Americas were populated.

The infants, who were buried 11,500 years ago at the Upward Sun River site, have been linked to two ancient lineages of Native Americans found throughout North and South America. The research is detailed in a paper published this week in the Proceeds of the National Academy of Sciences, The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports.

University of Alaska Fairbanks researcher Ben Potter, who led the dig at Upward Sun River, said the fact that the infants have different lineages appears to support a theory, known as the Beringian standstill model, which suggests a diverse group of people settled the Americas, and not people who came in genetically similar waves.

“Here we have within a single band, within a single group and perhaps within a single small group of people at Upward Sun, you have two distinct lineages,’ he said. “It suggests a higher level of genetic diversity in Beringia than we previously saw.’

The lineages of the two infants were from the haplogroups B2 and C1, which can be found today in indigenous populations in North and South America.

While the DNA research can lead to discovering the early human migrations into the Americas, the Upward Sun River site also offers insight into the culture and way of life of ancient Alaskans.

The infant remains, discovered in 2013, were buried alongside tools made from stone and antlers that were decorated with geometric designs. Other information from the site shows possible diets and hunting practices of the ancient people. Salmon bones were discovered throughout the site, suggesting a more advanced knowledge of fishing than was previously thought.

“What we were able to identify just last month was that salmon was (a part of their diet). They knew how to go after it and where it would occur,’ Potter said.

Researchers have just scratched the surface of information about the ancient people’s use of resources and genetic makeup, as more will likely emerge from the Upward Sun River site, Potter said.

“We’ve got many years of work ahead of us,’ he said.