Whether the ancient Lagoa Santa people were on such a trajectory is a question that the current evidence does not definitively answer.

The ongoing work at Lagoa Santa is not primarily driven by the Population Y debate.

It is driven by the inherent scientific value of one of the most significant early archaeological records in the Western Hemisphere, and by the genuine interest of the Brazilian and international archaeological community in understanding the full scope of early human life in the region.

The Population Y debate is one lens through which the Lagoa Santa evidence is being examined, but it is not the only lens, and the full significance of the site goes well beyond the specific genomic question.