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In a new study of the genetic history of the pre-contact Caribbean, researchers analyzed genome-wide DNA data from 174 ancient individuals who lived in the Bahamas, Haiti and the Dominican Republic (collectively, Hispaniola), Puerto Rico, Curaçao and Venezuela, as well as the data from 89 previously sequenced ancient individuals.
Illustration of one of the early settlers in the Caribbean. Image credit: Tom Björklund.
Prior to European colonization, the Caribbean was a mosaic of distinct communities that were connected by networks of interaction since the first human occupations in Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico around 6,000 years ago.
The pre-contact Caribbean is divided into three archaeological ages, which denote shifts in material cultural complexes. ....

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