Federal courts sided with the scientists, ruling that cultural affiliation between the ancient remains and modern tribes could not be established to the legal standard NAGPRA required.

The scientific team conducted extensive studies of the remains.

The Paleoamerican hypothesis gained considerable public attention in the context of the Kennewick case.

The parallel between Spirit Cave and Kennewick was not lost on anyone.

Both involved very ancient remains with unusual skull morphology.

Both were the subject of repatriation disputes with Native American tribes.

Both sat at the center of the debate about the Paleoamerican hypothesis and the origins of the first Americans.

But there was a crucial difference in how the two cases evolved.