José Vicente Rodríguez Cuenca, one of the co-authors of the 2025 genetics study, has spent much of his career studying the physical characteristics of pre-Columbian populations from the Bogotá Altiplano, and his expertise in the physical characteristics of the Checua remains was an important contribution to the broader research project.

The physical characteristics observed in the Checua individuals — elongated skull proportions, specific dental pathology, and the overall robusticity of the skeleton — provide complementary information to the genetic analysis.

But it is crucial to understand that physical characteristics alone cannot establish genetic relationships between populations.

The history of physical anthropology includes a long and problematic tradition of using skull shape and other morphological characteristics to make claims about racial or ethnic identity, biological superiority, and population relationships.

These claims were not only scientifically flawed but were used to justify harmful ideologies and policies.