Lumila Paula Menendez

The study of the peopling of the Americas has been a research focus for the past 200 years. Despite this lengthy investigation, numerous questions remain unanswered, particularly those concerning the origins and evolutionary processes that have shaped the diversity of Native Americans. The combination of publications proposed in this project not only promises to contribute new data but also offers an innovative methodological approach by examining the inner ear. Drawing from a four-year project encompassing sample analysis from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela, this endeavour provides fresh insights supporting the idea of long-term population continuity in South America. Furthermore, by comparing early Holocene samples from South America with those from Africa, Asia, and Oceania, new perspectives emerge regarding the geographical origins of the first humans to arrive on the continent. This approach represents a significant advancement in addressing key aspects that were previously hindered by the limitations of available methods and data. The project concludes by advocating for a slower, more sustainable, and interdisciplinary approach to science, emphasizing the importance of CT-scanning valuable samples before subjecting them to destructive biomolecular analysis. Overall, this interdisciplinary approach holds the promise of yielding more comprehensive understandings of our human past.