The research team that eventually sequenced the Anzick genome was led by Eske Willerslev of the University of Copenhagen — one of the leading figures in ancient DNA research globally — and included collaborators from multiple institutions.

The team worked with the Anzick family and with Native American representatives in the consultation process that preceded and accompanied the research.

The genome was sequenced from bone powder extracted from the child’s remains, using the next-generation methods that had transformed the field.

The results were published in the journal Nature in February 2014.

What The Genome Said

The Anzick-1 genome — Anzick-1 being the designation used in the scientific literature for the child — was the oldest complete ancient genome from the Americas at the time of publication and remained among the most significant for years afterward.

The analysis compared the Anzick-1 genome to a large panel of modern human populations from around the world and to other ancient human genomes that had been published by that point.