Genetic Identity and Relationships in the Southwest United States and Mexico

Summary

The prehistoric occupants of the Southwestern United States and Mexico have many similarities, including maize agriculture and the Uto-Aztecan language family. A genetic relationship, potentially due to migration between the regions, has been investigated through mitochondrial DNA analysis. However, limited modern and ancient samples, a focus on the hypervariable region of the mitogenome, and limited samples from intermediate regions between the Valley of Mexico and the cultural complexes in the Southwest US, may have masked the maternal relationship between the regions. A larger sample size from modern populations in Mexico, as well as whole mitogenomes from geographically intermediate sites such as Paquime, have allowed for a better understanding of the two regions and their relationship. An analysis of modern and ancient, as well as full mitogenomes and solely the hypervariable region, will be discussed to better understand the genetic relationship between the regions and what this means regarding expansion of cultural complexes in the past.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20123