title: Ancient DNA analysis of mid-holocene individuals from the Northwest Coast of North America reveals different evolutionary paths for mitogenomes.
abstract: To gain a better understanding of North American population history, complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) were generated from four ancient and three living individuals of the northern Northwest Coast of North America, specifically the north coast of British Columbia, Canada, current home to the indigenous Tsimshian, Haida, and Nisga'a. The mitogenomes of all individuals were previously unknown and assigned to new sub-haplogroup designations D4h3a7, A2ag and A2ah. The analysis of mitogenomes allows for more detailed analyses of presumed ancestor-descendant relationships than sequencing only the HVSI region of the mitochondrial genome, a more traditional approach in local population studies. The results of this study provide contrasting examples of the evolution of Native American mitogenomes. Those belonging to sub-haplogroups A2ag and A2ah exhibit temporal continuity in this region for 5000 years up until the present day. Of possible associative significance is that archaeologically identified house structures in this region maintain similar characteristics for this same period of time, demonstrating cultural continuity in residence patterns. The individual dated to 6000 years before present (BP) exhibited a mitogenome belonging to sub-haplogroup D4h3a. This sub-haplogroup was earlier identified in the same general area at 10300 years BP on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, and may have gone extinct, as it has not been observed in any living individuals of the Northwest Coast. The presented case studies demonstrate the different evolutionary paths of mitogenomes over time on the Northwest Coast.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Ilinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Yinqiu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lindo
authors.forename: Cris E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Jesse W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Alvaro G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Brian M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Petzelt
authors.forename: Joycellyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Archer
authors.forename: Jerome S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Cybulski
authors.forename: Ripan S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Malhi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009656:North America; D010802:Phylogeny; D055815:Young Adult