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Between A ndes and A mazon: The genetic profile of the A rawak‐speaking Y anesha
Author(s) -
Barbieri Chiara,
Heggarty Paul,
Yang Yao Daniele,
Ferri Gianmarco,
De Fanti Sara,
Sarno Stefania,
Ciani Graziella,
Boattini Alessio,
Luiselli Donata,
Pettener Davide
Publication year - 2014
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.22616
Subject(s) - haplogroup , population , geography , amazon rainforest , ethnology , gene flow , evolutionary biology , genealogy , history , biology , demography , genetics , ecology , haplotype , sociology , genetic variation , gene , genotype
The Yanesha are a Peruvian population who inhabit an environment transitional between the Andes and Amazonia. They present cultural traits characteristic of both regions, including in the language they speak: Yanesha belongs to the Arawak language family (which very likely originated in the Amazon/Orinoco lowlands), but has been strongly influenced by Quechua, the most widespread language family of the Andes. Given their location and cultural make‐up, the Yanesha make for an ideal case study for investigating language and population dynamics across the Andes‐Amazonia divide. In this study, we analyze data from high and mid‐altitude Yanesha villages, both Y chromosome (17 STRs and 16 SNPs diagnostic for assigning haplogroups) and mtDNA data (control region sequences and 3 SNPs and one INDEL diagnostic for assigning haplogroups). We uncover sex‐biased genetic trends that probably arose in different stages: first, a male‐biased gene flow from Andean regions, genetically consistent with highland Quechua‐speakers and probably dating back to Inca expansion; and second, traces of European contact consistent with Y chromosome lineages from Italy and Tyrol, in line with historically documented migrations. Most research in the history, archaeology and linguistics of South America has long been characterized by perceptions of a sharp divide between the Andes and Amazonia; our results serve as a clear case‐study confirming demographic flows across that ‘divide’. Am J Phys Anthropol 155:600–609, 2014. © 2014 The Authors. American journal of physical Anthropology published by Wiley Periodocals, Inc.