OUR faces and those of our distant ancestors have revealed important clues
about how ancient peoples spread around the planet, a physical anthropologist
told last week’s meeting.
By studying the facial features of 2600 people—alive and
dead—Loring Brace of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor has already
confirmed theories that separate waves of migration from Asia populated the New
World.
Many scientists think immigrants started to cross the Bering land bridge
between Asia and Alaska around 17 000 years ago. But so far there has been no
agreement on exactly when they came or where they were from.
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By measuring around two dozen variables in the heads and faces of people from
Asia and the New World, including ancient remains in museums, Brace has traced
four distinct waves of migration from different parts of Asia. “All avenues of
approach support the idea that Native Americans cannot be from one common line
of descent,” he says.
Brace’s work suggests that the earliest and largest wave of immigrants has
now settled along the border between the US and Mexico. The second largest
block, and perhaps the second oldest, seems to extend down the west coast of
North America. His work on faces suggests this group of people is related to a
prehistoric group from Japan.
The Aleut and Inuit people of the North are related to groups in Asia,
including Mongols, Brace’s results suggest. The last wave to enter was the
northern Athabascan people, who seem to be closely related to the Chinese.