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In addition to its discovery of a new ancient Siberian people, the study by the German and Russian scientists also produced another remarkable result. Three of the 10 individuals whose DNA was studied during the project died only 500 years ago and were laid to rest along Siberia's Kamchatka River. While these people were related to modern-day residents of the Kamchatka region, they also carried DNA that could be directly traced to the indigenous people of North America.
Based on the various genetic linkages detected, the German and Russian scientists concluded that the genetic makeup of the three individuals is best explained by genetic mixing events that occurred approximately 5,000 and 1,500 years ago. In other words, ancient Alaskans sailed across the Bering Sea in approximately 3,000 BC and again in 500 AD, and in both instances settled in Siberia and interbred with the people living there.
