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Genetics Pinpoint Americas Entry to 14,000–20,000 Years Ago

By Drooid · Oct 19, 2026, 4:44 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Researchers Bethany Potter and Savannah Hay narrowed the migration timeline into North America.
Genetic data show humans entered the Americas between 14,000 and 20,000 years ago.
Lineages diverged ~21,000 years ago and split into northern and southern groups ~15,500 years ago south of ice sheets.
23,000-year-old White Sands footprints suggest humans lived in North America earlier than genetic estimates.
They proposed unsampled or extinct lineages could explain the DNA-archaeology gap.

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Story summary

Researchers Bethany Potter and Savannah Hay narrowed the migration timeline into North America.
Genetic data show humans entered the Americas between 14,000 and 20,000 years ago.
Lineages diverged ~21,000 years ago and split into northern and southern groups ~15,500 years ago south of ice sheets.
23,000-year-old White Sands footprints suggest humans lived in North America earlier than genetic estimates.
They proposed unsampled or extinct lineages could explain the DNA-archaeology gap.