A Biocultural Assessment of Gene Flow, the Andes and the Himalayas

Summary

Anthropological population geneticists often attempt to explain the pattern and distribution of human genetic variation globally. Central to this pursuit is understanding the degree to which cultural, biological, and geographic variation impact migration of people, and the genetic traits (alleles) they bear. Gene flow, the transfer of alleles from one population to another, flows in the path of least resistance. All other things being equal, this means that topology creates resistance, and we would expect high altitude landscapes to provide barriers to gene flow. But this idealized model is frequently rejected. High altitude environments can also provide incentives for migration and gene flow. Synthesizing our work from the Andes and Himalayas, we discuss the biocultural landscape for the initial migration and the subsequent interaction of ancient peoples. We find there are high-elevation landscapes being peopled as early as there is evidence of people in adjacent lower-elevation regions, and once peopled, patterns of gene flow becomes a complex interplay of cultural and physical adaptation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• The Role of High Altitude Landscapes in the Peopling of the New World

Keywords

Spatial Coverage