At a glance
- When
- the end of the last Ice Age to the early Holocene, about 11,000 to 6000 BCE
- Where
- North, Central and South America, from Montana and Washington to Brazil and Chile
- Entries in our catalogue
- 56 (35 individual genomes)
- Countries of the finds
- 5
What ancient DNA shows
A 2014 study in Nature sequenced the Anzick child, buried with Clovis tools in Montana about 12,600 years ago, and found that he belonged to a population directly ancestral to many present-day Native Americans, especially in Central and South America. A 2015 study of the Kennewick Man from Washington found that he was closely related to present-day Native Americans of the region.
A 2018 study in Cell found that Clovis-related ancestry was present in early South Americans, including people at Lapa do Santo in Brazil, but was later largely replaced by other Native American ancestry. A study published the same year in Science found a weak signal related to Australasian populations in early Brazilian individuals, a puzzle that is still debated.
Their genetic legacy today
Present-day Native Americans descend from these earliest populations, and ancient DNA has shown that most of them share ancestors who split from East Asians and Siberians before entering the Americas.
Paleoamericans samples in the MYDNATLAS catalogue
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 56 entries whose culture label names the Paleoamericans. 35 of them are individual genomes; the others are reference entries, such as averages of several individuals, and samples flagged as outliers. Half of the 56 dated entries fall between 8,157 BCE and 7,650 BCE, with a median of 7,950 BCE.
Where they were found
| Country | Entries |
|---|---|
| Brazil | 44 |
| United States | 6 |
| Chile | 3 |
| Peru | 2 |
| Belize | 1 |
Most common labels
| Label | Entries |
|---|---|
| Paleoamerican (Brazil) | 44 |
| Clovis Culture (USA) | 3 |
| Paleoamerican | 2 |
| Paleoamerican (Chile) | 2 |
| Paleoamerican (Peru) | 2 |
| Paleoamerican (Belize) | 1 |
Measured from the live catalogue on 2026-10-17. Dates are those recorded for each entry; the archaeological dates of the culture are given above. See our data sources for where the samples come from.
Compare your DNA with the Paleoamericans
To see how close you sit to Paleoamericans samples, you need your DNA as G25 coordinates. Download your raw data file from your testing company, convert it, and MYDNATLAS compares your coordinates with these entries and the rest of the catalogue, period by period, in its closest population and mixture tools.
- Download your raw DNA file: step by step for each testing company.
- Upload it from 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage or FamilyTreeDNA, or another supported provider.
- Explore the results with the period by period breakdown and closest populations.
Start free: browse the Population Encyclopedia. The Population Encyclopedia is free to browse with a free account; analysing your own DNA needs a paid plan.
Questions
How many Paleoamericans samples does MYDNATLAS hold?
Our ancient DNA catalogue holds 56 entries labelled as Paleoamericans, of which 35 are individual genomes; the rest are reference entries such as group averages, and flagged outliers. Figures measured 2026-10-17.
Where were the Paleoamericans samples found?
They come from 5 countries, most often Brazil, United States, Chile, Peru and Belize. Half of the dated entries fall between 8,157 BCE and 7,650 BCE.
Were the first Americans the ancestors of Native Americans?
Yes, according to ancient DNA. Early genomes such as the Anzick child and Kennewick Man are closely related to present-day Native Americans, which rules out theories that the continent was first settled by an unrelated people.