Migration Waves, Genetic Drift and the Peopling of Fuego-Patagonia

Summary

The colonization of Fuego-Patagonia is filled with questions of origin, timing and migratory routes taken by early colonizers (inland hunter gatherers) and later migrants, the highly-specialized marine populations. Our study compares mitochondrial DNA sequences taken from 20 prehistoric samples (teeth) ranging in age between 7,200 and 1,000 cal yrs BP (before present) to results from 38 modern Patagonians (Kaweskar, Mapuche-Huilliche and Yagan) who participated as part of the Genographic Project.

The prehistoric results show three distinct Native American haplogroups (C1, D1 and D4h3a), whereas modern participants were C1b, C1b13, D1, D4h3a, B2i2. The prevalence of haplogroups C1, D1, D4h3a in the modern and ancient samples shows consistency, while the higher diversity in modern groups reflects mixing from Mapuche populations from central Chile and Argentina, introducing lineages C1b13 and B2i2. Among the Yagan, haplgroups C1b and D1 dominated, likely reflecting processes of early settlement followed by genetic drift, exacerbated by the genocide committed against them during historical times. The oldest sample (7,200 BP) was also C1. Among the modern Kawesqar, 60% were D4h3a, a lineage also found in prehistoric marine settlements and among modern coastal groups further north, suggesting the Kawesqar were possibly part of the second marine-adapted migration.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage