The Broader South American Genomic Picture

The Checua findings connect to a set of broader patterns that have been emerging from ancient DNA research across South America over the past several years.

The early population history of South America was more complex than previously appreciated.

Ancient genomes from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Peru have revealed that the continent’s prehistoric population was not a single, homogeneous group that spread from a single source.

Instead, the genetic record shows multiple distinct lineages, some of which show complex patterns of mixture, divergence, and replacement.