It did not have the coverage depth of a modern genome sequenced from a fresh sample.

But it was complete enough — with sufficient coverage of the genome to allow reliable population genetic comparisons — to address the fundamental questions about where this child fit in the family tree of ancient and modern human populations.

What the analysis revealed was unexpected enough that the researchers checked their methods carefully before accepting the conclusion.

The Genome Speaks

When the population genetic analysis of the USR1 genome was completed and the results were compared against the growing library of ancient and modern human genomes from around the world, the statistical relationships were clear.

USR1 was most closely related to Native American populations.