Kennewick Man
Kennewick Man’s 8500-year-old skull was found on July 28, 1996, at a reservoir on the Columbia River in Kennewick, Washington State, USA. His YDNA haplogroup is Q-M3 and his mtDNA haplogroup is X2a. His genetic markers are found exclusively in DNA indigenous to the Americas.
DNA results concluded his genetic profile was close to members of five tribes that originally claimed Kennewick Man as an ancestor, they were the only ones to donate DNA samples for comparison.
The lack of genomes from the North American DNA pool makes it impossible to confirm Kennewick Man’s nearest living relatives among the Tribes of today. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Yakama Nation, the Nez Perce Tribe, the Umatilla Reservation, and the Wanapum Band of Priest Rapids together reburied the remains of Kennewick Man.
National Geographic and Conne River Mi’kmaq
In 1829, the last known Beothuk, Nancy Shanawdithit, died of tuberculosis. National Geographic and Conne River, Mi’kmaq are testing for Beothuk DNA amongst the Mi’kmaq people.
The Mi’kmaq and the Vikings
Iceland, Vikings and Mi’kmaq
DNA studies reveal a C1e MTDNA lineage, indigenous to the Americas, found amongst 80 Icelanders that can be traced to four females born in Iceland during the 1700s. Did this C1e lineage arrive in Iceland around 1000 AD and is there a genetic link between the Mi’kmaq, the Beothuk and the Vikings who came to the Americas in 1000 AD from Iceland? Both Tribes may have interacted with the Vikings about 1000 years AD. Today DNA studies reveal a indigenous C1e MTDNA haplogroup amongst 80 Icelanders traced to four females born in Iceland during the 1700s. Did this C1e lineage arrive in Iceland around 1000 AD and is there a genetic link between the Mi’kmaq, the Beothuk and the Vikings who came to the Americas in 1000 AD from Iceland?
