Rapid coastal spread of First Americans: Novel insights from South America's Southern Cone mitochondrial genomes

• DOI: 10.1101/gr.131722.111
• Publication Date: 2012-02-15T04:19:21Z
• Authors: Martin Bodner; Ugo A. Perego; Gabriela Huber; Liane Fendt; Alexander W. Röck; Bettina Zimmermann; Anna Olivieri; Alberto Gómez-Car...; Hovirag Lancioni; Norman Angerhofer; Maria Cecilia Bob...; Daniel Corach; Scott R. Woodward; Antonio Salas; Alessandro Achilli; Antonio Torroni; Hans-Jürgen Bandelt; Walther Parson
• Keywords: Cone (formal languages)

It is now widely agreed that the Native American founders originated from a Beringian source population ~15-18 thousand years ago (kya) and rapidly populated all of New World, probably mainly following Pacific coastal route. However, details about migration into Americas routes pursued on continent still remain unresolved, despite numerous genetic, archaeological, linguistic investigations. To examine pioneering peopling phase South continent, we screened literature mtDNA databases identified two novel mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) clades, here named D1g D1j, within pan-American haplogroup D1. They both show overall rare occurrences but local high frequencies, are essentially restricted to populations Southern Cone America (Chile Argentina). We selected completely sequenced 43 D1j genomes applying highest quality standards. Molecular phylogeographic analyses revealed extensive variation each clades possibly distinct dispersal patterns. Their age estimates agree with dating earliest archaeological sites in indicate Paleo-Indian spread along entire longitude double might have taken even <2000 yr. This study confirms major sampling sequencing efforts mandatory for uncovering most basal haplogroups clarification migrations, by targeting, if possible, general mixed national states autochthonous groups, especially America.