Ancient Horizons, New Data: Genetics and the Peopling of the Americas

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Humans are travelers. For over 200,000 years we have migrated from one place to another in search of resources, to flee danger, or simply to explore. This mobility and adaptability is arguably one of our greatest strengths. In recent years, the study of DNA from ancient and contemporary humans has shed new light on our history of movement, complementing findings from archaeology and paleontology. In this talk, we will examine the latest genetic and archaeological evidence for the origins of the First Peoples of the Americas. We will piece together a story told by fragments of DNA recovered from a tooth in Siberia, by a small broken knife found deep below the surface of a muddy pond in Florida, by the footprints of children left thousands of years ago on the banks of an ancient lake in New Mexico. We will explore why the same pieces of evidence tell different stories to different groups of scholars. Ancient DNA has revealed a complex story of migrations, isolation, and adaptation, one which is still unfolding as more genomes are studied every year. We will discuss the future of genetics research, and the ethical directions in which this field needs to go.

Jennifer Raff (PhD Biology and Anthropology) is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Indigenous Studies at the University of Kansas. She works with tribes and Indigenous communities across North America to use ancient and contemporary genomes as tools for investigating historical questions. She has written for the general public on various topics related to genetics and science literacy, including the New York Times bestselling book Origin: A genetic history of the Americas. She is a recipient of the Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science, the American Anthropological Association W.W. Howells book award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. She is currently working on her second book, about human evolution.