DNA reignites Kennewick Man debate

A long-running debate over an ancient skeleton known as Kennewick Man has been reignited. The 9,000-year-old was claimed as an ancestor by Native Americans, who called for his remains to be reburied. However, a group of anthropologists said the specimen's features were not similar to people from local tribes and won a legal bid to study the bones. Now a genetic analysis has revealed his DNA is more closely related to modern Native Americans than to anyone else. The findings are published in the journal Nature. Ancient One The discovery of Kennewick Man along the shores of the Columbia River in Washington State in 1996 sparked a bitter legal battle. For its age, the skeleton was one of the most complete ever found, and scientists said it could provide an unprecedented insight into America's early inhabitants. We can conclude very clearly he is most clearly related to contemporary Native Americans Prof Eske Willerslev, University of Copenhagen However, local Native American tribes - who call the skeleton the Ancient One - said the remains should not be studied. And under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (Nagpra), asked the US government to seize the bones and return them so they could be reburied. This in turn prompted a lawsuit to block the move-READ MORE -http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33170655