Eskimo Problem in the Light of New Data

Abstract

Purpose. The problem of the origin of the Eskimos has received considerable attention, at the same time also providing insights about human presence in far Northeast Siberia and America. I review earlier studies and discuss some of the more exciting recent results emerging from ancient DNA data sets. I also highlight important features of genetic and archeological data and discuss key questions and future research directions. Results. The Paleo-Eskimos and Neo-Eskimos ancestors along the Q-NWT01 Y-DNA line lived in the Kolyma River basin at the turn of the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene. The migration of the East Asian ancestors of the Paleo-Eskimos was associated with the representatives of the Neolithic cultures of Northeast Asia, which brought the ancestral haplotype for mtDNA haplogroup D2a to Alaska. The emergence of the Neo-Eskimo cultures took place in the Bering strait area on the basis of the local Paleo-Eskimo tradition and under the influence of the cultural traditions of Southwestern Alaska and Chukotka. The Ust'-Belaya culture of Chukotka could act as a genetic source for the development of the Neo-Eskimo cultures.Conclusion. Analysis of ancient DNA from human remains over the past decade has had a transformative effect on the study of the origin of the Eskimos. Data sets of ancient DNA have revealed an increasingly complex picture of human demographic history in North-East of Asia and America and development of Paleo-Eskimo and Neo-Eskimo traditions, suggesting multiple waves of migration over the Bering Strait and episodes of admixture of different groups of population, including Ancient Paleosiberian, East Asian, Paleo-Indian, Paleo-Eskimos, Neo-Eskimos and others.