Origin of Native Americans: Early Human Migrations

When Christopher Columbus discover America, he found that people of distinct color and costume existed there. These people are spread all over American continent, in North, Central and South America. They developed great civilizations like Maya and Inca.

Today we know these people as Native Americans, American Indians, Red Indians and by many other names related to their tribes.

The question is, when and where from they came to America?

According to anthropologists, they came in America approximately 12-14 thousands years ago, from Eurasia, via Beringia, a land bridge between eastern edge of Siberia (Russia) and western edge of Alaska, USA. This migration was in three or more waves. Then in a large span of time, they traveled toward south and spread all over North, Central and South America. They were divided in regional groups and tribes.

This theory of the origin of Native Americans is supported by DNA tests of skeletons found across American Continent, Genetic relations between Asians and Native Americans, Archaeological evidences, as well as the linguistic evidences.

However, there are some other theories too, which indicate that all the native Americans did not come from Asia.

-Mahavir Sanglikar