2018 ancient genome: Puerto Ricans "share more drift with the Taino than any other" (Preacher's Cave, Bahamas; published 2018)

SUMMARY2018 ancient genome: Puerto Ricans "share more drift with the Taino than any other" (Preacher's Cave, Bahamas; published 2018) [Connections: Latin America & Caribbean, Nov 5, 2026]

RECORDSchroeder et al. sequenced a roughly 1,000-year-old Lucayan Taíno individual. The abstract says "the native American components in some present-day Caribbean genomes are closely related to the ancient Taino," "demonstrating an element of continuity between precontact populations and present-day Latino populations in the Caribbean." The paper says "Puerto Ricans share more drift with the Taino than any other native American group in our dataset," and Puerto Ricans carry roughly 10–15% Native American ancestry. DISPUTED/Record as found: The same paper says a model making Puerto Ricans direct descendants of this individual "does not fit the data," and it cannot say how much of the Native share is Taíno specifically. It is one genome from the Bahamas, not Puerto Rico

PATTERNA top journal confirms continuity, with stated limits

LENS (WW9)The status quo's own lab says the line didn't end

OPENFurther ancient genomes from Borikén itself (later studies) should be checked

SOURCESchroeder et al., "Origins and genetic legacies of the Caribbean Taino," PNAS 115(10):2341–2346 (2018), PMC full text. DOI 10.1073/pnas.1716839115.