Native Californians Followed the Greenery: Environment Shaped 12,000 Years of Ethnic and Linguistic

[Judi Lynn]

Native Californians Followed the Greenery: Environment Shaped 12,000 Years of Ethnic and Linguistic Diversity



Aug. 19, 2013 — California's rich diversity of Native American ethnic-and-language groups took shape during the past 12,000 years as migrating tribes settled first on the lush Pacific coast and then in progressively drier, less-vegetated habitats, says a new University of Utah study.

"Trying to explain why linguistic diversity is high in some places and low in others has been a big issue in anthropology," says Brian Codding, an assistant professor of anthropology and principal author of the new study, published online the week of Aug. 19 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"For a number of years, people have shown a correlation between ecological diversity and linguistic diversity," he adds. "What we did in this study that was different was to look at it over time -- to actually see the process through which different populations came to live side-by-side as neighbors or replaced one population with another. We're showing how the diversity actually developed over time."

Codding conducted the research with Terry Jones, a professor of anthropology and chair of social sciences at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

More:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130819162515.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29

[SunSeeker]

1. California was a paradise teaming with wildlife before Europeans came.

It makes sense that there was such a large number and diversity of native peoples here.