The Anzick child’s genome was sequenced by a research team led by Eske Willerslev of the University of Copenhagen, one of the leading figures in ancient DNA research, working with a large group of collaborators.

The results were published in the journal Nature in 2014 — a paper that made headlines around the world for what the genetic analysis revealed.

The genome work on the Anzick child was remarkable not just for its scientific results but for the way it was conducted.

The researchers worked directly with Native American tribes and families who had connections to the site — specifically with the Crow tribe, whose traditional territory includes the Anzick site area, and with the family that had been stewarding the remains since their discovery.

The engagement with Native communities was not a procedural formality; it shaped the research itself, including the decision about what happened to the child’s remains after the scientific analysis was complete.