Preliminary ancient DNA analysis suggests a complex origins scenario for pre-contact Puerto Rican populations

Summary

Recent archaeological research suggests that indigenous groups in Puerto Rico stemmed from multiple and continuous migrations of continental indigenous populations. This view is supported by contemporary genetic studies, which have found evidence of genetic affinity between multiple modern Native American groups and the native ancestry components of modern, admixed Puerto Ricans. Overall, these findings challenge the traditional single-migration model for the peopling of Puerto Rico, and suggest genetic continuity between the pre- and post-contact populations. Here we further test these findings by examining ancient DNA obtained from human skeletal remains (dated 590 to 1280 cal AD) from three pre-contact Puerto Rican sites: Paso del Indio, Punta Candelero and Tibes. Preliminary results from analyses of nine complete ancient mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genomes suggest that pre-contact Puerto Rican individuals share genetic affinity with several South American and Mesoamerican groups (both ancient and modern). Additionally, haplotype-sharing analyses suggest there is some continuity of ancient mtDNA lineages in contemporary Puerto Ricans, although the presence of unique types among pre-contact individuals suggests some loss of ancient mtDNA diversity. These preliminary results support an origins scenario of complex and continuous admixture for pre-contact Puerto Rican groups.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Primer of the Ancient Mariner: New Perspectives on aDNA Research and the Prehistoric Colonization of Islands

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