Migrating Genes, or How to Avoid the Free-Ranging Genome

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Increasing the Accessibility of Ancient DNA within Archaeology" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Migration studies address huge distances, such as the colonization of the Americas, and smaller regions, such as the peopling of specific sites. The use of genetics as a medium to enhance our understanding of population movement can be an asset. There are potential pitfalls, however, such as the misrepresentation of DNA freely ranging across the landscape without the aid of human vectors or motivations. Genomic data must be interpreted through the lens of all available data from the site and surrounding region to best understand how it fits into human movement. These ideas will be discussed with the mitogenome data accumulated from the site of Paquimé in Casas Grandes, Mexico, which has long been tied to hypotheses of migration from the south (such as the pochteca) and north (such as the Mimbres). How such migrations are identified genetically and fit into the larger understanding of the site will be discussed, particularly in respect to the cultural fluorescence that marks the transition from the Viejo to Medio time periods. While mitogenome data points to in situ population growth, there is evidence that fits with the archaeological record that individuals were migrating into the region from both the north and south.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• Increasing the Accessibility of Ancient DNA within Archaeology

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32136