A 12,000 or 13,000 years old human skeleton was found inside an underwater cave in southeast Mexico, which strengthens the theory that the first inhabitants of the American continent arrived from Siberia through the Bering Strait.
Researchers of Mexico's National Anthropology and History Institute (INAH) reported on Thursday, May 15 that the human remains were found in 2007 by a team of divers who explored the waters of a cenote (underwater cave) in the Mexican Caribbean. Investigations on the skeleton indicate that it belonged to a 15 or 16-year-old teenager with a genetic code linking her directly to Siberian migrations and which is only shared by ancient American settlers, which supports the theory regarding the continent's first inhabitants.
"This is an opportunity that has allowed us to find another link we needed to confirm that the continent's first settles came from Siberia and not somewhere else," said Pilar Luna, deputy director of the INAH's Subacuatic Archaeology Department.
INAH archaeologists have named the skeleton "Naia", a water nymph from Greek mythology and placed her within a group that developed adaptation changes to their new surroundings. Pilar Luna said it is a more complete and genetically intact skeleton than any found in the continent before, which will allow researchers to start many studies in search for answers on her DNA.
"Naia" was found in a cenote known as "Hoyo Negro" ("Black Hole") for its dark depths, which has a combination of fresh water and salt water from the sea, which allowed the skeleton to be preserved at an optimal level which allows INAH to preserve the skull practically intact.
The skeleton has been studied by Mexican and foreign researchers for three years. INAH divers also found 26 mammals bones belonging to 11 species, which include a saber tooth tiger and a Shasta ground sloth, bears, a panther and fruit bats; all of them in a perfect paleontologic context.