Lack of founding Amerindian mitochondrial DNA lineages in extinct aborigines from Tierra del Fuego-Patagonia.
Ancient DNA from bones and teeth of 60 individuals from four extinct human populations from Tierra del Fuego-Patagonia (Selknam, Yamana, Kaweskar and Aonikenk) has been extracted and the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) amplified by using the polymerase chain reaction. High-resolution analysis of endonuclease restriction site variation in the mtDNA and sequencing of its hypervariable non-coding control region, revealed complete absence of two of the four primary mitochondrial haplotype groups present in contemporary Amerinds, namely A and B. In contrast, haplogroups C and D were found in all but one sample with frequencies of approximately 38% and 60%. These results, together with the decreasing incidence of group A in more southerly latitudes in the American continent and the absence of cluster B above 55 degrees North in America and Asia, argue that the first settlers entering America 21000-14000 years ago already lacked both mtDNA lineages.
Lalueza
C
C
Departament de Biologia Animal, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
Pérez-Pérez
A
A
Prats
E
E
Cornudella
L
L
Turbón
D
D
D001118:Argentina; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D007199:Indians, South American / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004247:DNA