Mitochondrial DNA, as noted, captures only the maternal lineage.

It tells you about one thread in the full weave of ancestry.

A complete nuclear genome — the full genetic sequence of all twenty-three chromosome pairs — contains vastly more information about population relationships and ancestry, because it reflects the contributions of all ancestors on both the maternal and paternal sides going back many generations.

The haplogroup result from Naia was strongly suggestive of continuity with later Native American populations, but it was not conclusive in the way that a full nuclear genome analysis would be.

The limitations of the mitochondrial evidence were acknowledged by the researchers themselves and were raised by critics and commentators on the paper.