The uncertainty changed.

The ancestors remained the same.

The Genome And The Peopling Of The Americas

The Spirit Cave genome became part of a much larger scientific effort to reconstruct how human populations spread through the Americas after entering from Beringia.

Genetic researchers examine patterns of shared mutations among ancient and modern individuals.

By comparing genomes, they can estimate relationships among populations, identify ancient splits, detect later mixing, and reconstruct broad movements through time.

The 2018 Science research that included Spirit Cave analyzed ancient individuals spanning thousands of years and large geographic distances.

The study supported rapid dispersal of early populations through the Americas, followed by regional differentiation.

Spirit Cave contributed evidence from the western Great Basin.

The significance of one genome should not be exaggerated.