The Ruthless 10,000-Year Journey (6) From Beringia to the Great Lakes of North America: The Mysterious Mitochondrial mtDNA Haplogroup X and Migration Routes; The Ancestors of the 'Walking People' Born in the Iranian Plateau; Haplogroup Q (Y-DNA)

§1. There were four migration routes

Among the tribes that decided to migrate from the 'Persian Gulf Steppe' were the 'Walking People' and the large 'Steppe People' tribe. Since these two major tribes had different ancestral origins, only the 'Mountain People' aimed for Beringia. The 'Steppe People' initially took refuge from the Dilmun Steppe in the adjacent wastelands of the Arabian subcontinent, which were then uninhabited wilderness.
Afterward, they chose remote areas along the well-maintained trade routes that had long developed along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Alternatively, they chose small cities that were just beginning to be developed in the Fertile Crescent at that time. With the changes in eras and circumstances, three main courses were selected for this as well.
I have been following the migration course taken by the 'Walking People,' and this concludes that part. I plan to write about the million-person mass migration of the 'Steppe People' in a future article.

§2. The 'mysterious mtDNA_X' was solved by the 'Walking People'

The 'Walking People' are a clan of the Iroquois Confederacy living on the shores of Lake Ontario in the eastern Great Lakes region of North America. Judging from this chart, it can be said with near certainty that the people who crossed Beringia 10,000 years ago were 'mtDNA_X.' It is no wonder that until now, it was impossible to imagine that they had walked all the way from Arabia.
However, the 'Walking People' crossed on foot as a tribal group, accompanied by men, women, and children of all ages. Let us overlay the entire migration course onto the chart of Haplogroup X (mtDNA). This chart has long been called the 'mystery chart.'
The mystery seen in this 'Chart 1: Genome Analysis mtDNA_X' is that it is 'observed only in the North American continent' and is at its highest frequency in the eastern part of North America. Yet, there is also a peak in the far-off region of West Asia. Why is it only in 'West Asia' and the 'American continent'?
Everything else is blank; how could the same gene exist in such far-flung places? It was the great mystery of 'mtDNA_X' alone.
Of course, there was a hypothesis that they might have crossed the Atlantic Ocean. However, from the perspective of a connection between Native Americans and indigenous Europeans, there was no rational explanation.
And this mystery was finally solved by the 'Walking People.'

§3. Regarding the abbreviation of Mitochondrial DNA Haplogroup X as 'mtDNA_X'

Professional terminology for genome analysis involves lengthy descriptions. Therefore, I would like to use a simplified expression. 'Mitochondrial DNA' is inherited from the mother and is an 'XX matrilineal gene.' Since only mitochondrial genes from the mother are discussed, they are XX or'I will omit the X and write only mtDNA'. On the other hand, since genes from the father are 'YX patrilineal genes,' I distinguish the 'patrilineal Y' from the 'matrilineal X' by writing 'patrilineal Y,' such as 'Y_R1a.' For example, in the case of 'mtDNA_Y,' it is 'Y,' but since it is 'mtDNA,' it is the matrilineal 'Y'.
I apologize if my explanation is not clear.

§4. Overlaying the 'Walking People's' Beringia migration course onto 'mtDNA-X'

Now, finally, in Chart 2, I have overlaid and illustrated the entire course of the 'Walking People.' Although it is not certain whether they reached parts of the Japanese archipelago, I have added this part to the chart as my own creative addition. Everything else follows the path they walked.
The key to solving the mystery was 'Beringia.' And in the background is the 'peace' that allowed them to continue their long migration journey with peace of mind. The 'Walking People' encountered many difficulties, most of which were natural disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and changes in the food environment.
Furthermore, there was the issue of the elderly, which only happens on long journeys. The answer to the problem that was unavoidable in a journey lasting over 100 years was provided by the elderly themselves. From their long experience, the elders brought about a surprising innovation in fur processing when faced with the tribe's difficulties. The ones who benefited most from this new technology were the young children. How great must the mothers' joy have been!
From then on, the elderly became companions on the long journey. The 'Walking People' united under the 'wise old woman, Snow Crown' and overcame various trials.

§5. Why did it have to be the American continent for the 'Walking People'? The answer is the genome analysis chart Haplogroup Q (Y-DNA)

So, why did it have to be the American continent for the 'Mountain People'? It is a natural question, isn't it?
The 'Mountain People' called Beringia the 'well-worn path.' In other words, it is highly likely that there was a tradition within the clan from kin who had crossed Beringia. What supports this is the genome analysis 'Haplogroup Q (Y-DNA),' which can be abbreviated as 'Y_Q'.
Snow Crown, the leader and elder among the 'Walking People' clan, cherished the old stories of people who had crossed Beringia that her parents had told her. In the critical situation of the 'Persian Gulf Steppe,' she strongly desired to make the journey to migrate to the American continent, which in her expression was the distant 'neighboring large island.'

In Plate 3, the color density of 'Y_Q' is lighter in Iran, where the 'Mountain People' originated. This is the result of the 'Y_R1b' (Indo-European language family) invading this region, causing the genes of the 'Mountain People' to be diluted through intermarriage and conquest.

§6. The Well-Maintained Beringia Course

Looking at the world map depicted by haplogroup 'Y_Q', one can understand why the 'Walking People' referred to Beringia as a 'well-worn path.' It also explains how the clan could set out on a long journey without any worries while remaining defenseless.
The 'DNA World Map' in Plate 3 answers these questions all at once. The enclave-like areas indicated by arrows on the plate are settlements of the kin group. These also served as information paths, and by reaching such places, they could obtain information about the path ahead.
Furthermore, these enclaves solved the problem of the elderly within the clan. Elders who found it difficult to walk would settle in these enclaves. Those who gave up on accompanying the group, or the sick and injured, would voluntarily leave the migrant group as they approached these settlements.
From the haplogroup 'Y_Q' plate, it can also be read that the kin of the 'Walking People,' who are of the same lineage as the 'Mountain People,' had firmly taken root and settled not only in North America but also in the South American continent.

§7. Siberia Was Warm: The Bølling-Allerød Interstadial (-12700 to -10800 BC)

Siberia had entered a warm period around the time the 'Walking People' decided to cross Beringia; this is called the 'Bølling-Allerød interstadial' (-12700 to -10800 BC).
It was during this period that the 'Walking People' decided to migrate and set out on their long journey. The time they crossed the Bering Land Bridge overlaps with the period just before Beringia was submerged. From this, the time the 'Walking People' crossed the Bering Land Bridge can be accurately identified.
Strangely, during the 'Bølling-Allerød interstadial,' the north was warm while the south was cold. This was around the time the 'Green Arabian Subcontinent' and the 'Green Sahara' appeared.
Even though it was a warm period, people like the 'Walking People' who lived at the end of the Ice Age were accustomed to the cold. This is Siberia; it remained cold regardless.
The 'Walking People' learned just before crossing that this warm period would bring difficult conditions for crossing Beringia. Upon reaching the Kamchatka Peninsula, they encountered a group of their own kin who had given up on the 'seaside crossing' because it was on the verge of being submerged and had returned. In other words, it is clear that there were many other clans of 'Walking People' with the same aspirations.

§8. The Wise Old Woman and Her Assistant, the 'Daughter of Wisdom'

The problem is that the situation was different from today's information society. I believe the clan had no choice but to use their wits to move forward until they reached a place where their companions were settled. How were they able to resolve such anxieties?
It was through discussions involving everyone, centered on the wisdom offered by the 'Daughter of Wisdom' in addition to the 'Snow Crown' of the traveling tribe. Here, 'daughter' means younger than the 'Snow Crown'.
The 'Wise Old Woman,' who is the 'Daughter of Wisdom,' took on the role of conveying the words of the 'Snow Crown' to the 'Long-lived Ones' and the entire clan. To maintain harmony and unity, they created a system where the 'Daughter of Wisdom' stood between the 'elderly Snow Crown' and the others.
Everyone, including the strong men and the children, did not disrupt this harmony system. It shows truly remarkable sociality.
For more on the 'Snow Crown,' please see The Ruthless 10,000-Year Journey (1).

§9. The 'Daughter of Wisdom' Matriarchal Society and the 'Long-lived One' Patriarchal Society

The 'Long-lived One' is chosen independently of the 'Snow Crown'; this person corresponds to a male leader. And interestingly, the male 'Long-lived One' appears to be obedient to the elderly female 'Snow Crown.' As a 'hunter who protects the precious ancient wisdom,' the 'Long-lived One,' the male leader of the tribe, trusts the elderly 'Snow Crown' completely.
At first glance, it looks like a matriarchal society, but it does not necessarily fit into our categories. We easily divide things into 'matriarchal society' and 'patriarchal society'.
However, what is seen in the 'Walking People' appears to be a flexible and realistic leadership system. It is an extremely excellent system that allows both men and women to fully demonstrate their strengths in the face of immediate problems. Furthermore, I am deeply impressed that they were able to maintain peace within the tribe using this method.
Much later, a time will come when a forced transition to a patriarchal society is imposed from the outside. I will touch upon this in the future during the 'Million-Person Great Migration to Cucuteni' by the 'Steppe People'.