Perego and Ekins jointly argue that DNA is useful for reconstructing Native American population history but cannot conclusively establish or exclude Book of Mormon migrants. Unknown founding DNA, genetic drift, population bottlenecks, intermarriage, and difficulties distinguishing recent migrations could leave a small Near Eastern group without a recognizable genetic trace.
- Ugo A. Perego and Jayne E. Ekins, “Is Decrypting the Genetic Legacy of America’s Indigenous Populations Key to the Historicity of the Book of Mormon?,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 38 (2020): 355-390.