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Ancient DNA perspectives on American colonization and population history
Author(s) -
Raff Jennifer A.,
Bolnick Deborah A.,
Tackney Justin,
O'Rourke Dennis H.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.21594
Subject(s) - ancient dna , prehistory , population , evolutionary biology , genetic diversity , demographic history , colonization , haplogroup , genetic variation , human genetic variation , gene pool , human migration , geography , biology , population genetics , demography , archaeology , genetics , haplotype , human genome , genome , gene , genotype , sociology
Ancient DNA (aDNA) analyses have proven to be important tools in understanding human population dispersals, settlement patterns, interactions between prehistoric populations, and the development of regional population histories. Here, we review the published results of sixty‐three human populations from throughout the Americas and compare the levels of diversity and geographic patterns of variation in the ancient samples with contemporary genetic variation in the Americas in order to investigate the evolution of the Native American gene pool over time. Our analysis of mitochondrial haplogroup frequencies and prehistoric population genetic diversity presents a complex evolutionary picture. Although the broad genetic structure of American prehistoric populations appears to have been established relatively early, we nevertheless identify examples of genetic discontinuity over time in select regions. We discuss the implications this finding may have for our interpretation of the genetic evidence for the initial colonization of the Americas and its subsequent population history. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.