Genomic insights into the early peopling of the Caribbean

The Caribbean was one of the last regionsof the Americas to be settled by humans, but wherethey came from and how and when they reached theislands remain unclear. We generated genome-widedata for 93 ancient Caribbean islanders datingbetween 3200 and 400 calibrated years before thepresent and found evidence of at least threeseparate dispersals into the region, including twoearly dispersals into the Western Caribbean, oneof which seems connected to radiation events inNorth America. This was followed by a laterexpansion from South America. We also detectedgenetic differences between the early settlers andthe newcomers from South America, with almost noevidence of admixture. Our results add to ourunderstanding of the initial peopling of theCaribbean and the movements of Archaic Age peoplesin the Americas.