title: Where are the Caribs? Ancient DNA from ceramic period human remains in the Lesser Antilles.
abstract: The identity and history of the indigenous groups who occupied the Lesser Antilles during the ceramic periods remain highly controversial. Although recent archaeological evidence has challenged hypotheses concerning the organization of human groups in this region, more biological data are needed to fully inform the discussion. Our study provides, to our knowledge, the first palaeogenetic data for Late Ceramic groups of the Guadeloupe archipelago, yielding crucial information concerning the identities of these groups. Despite the generally poor DNA preservation in the tested remains, we were able to retrieve Hypervariable Region 1 sequences from 11 individuals and mitochondrial single-nucleotide polymorphisms from 13 individuals. These novel data provide interesting preliminary results in favour of a common origin for all Saladoid Caribbean communities, i.e. the first ceramic groups of the region, as well as for a local continuity between the Saladoid and post-Saladoid groups. A combination of the genetic data obtained and several pieces of cultural evidence allows us to propose that two different groups inhabited the Guadeloupe archipelago during the Late Ceramic period, with the possible occupation of the La Désirade and Marie-Galante islands by groups affiliated with the Taíno communities. The working hypotheses proposed here appear consistent with recent archaeological evidence.
authors.affiliation: Université de Bordeaux, UMR 5199 PACEA, Equipe Anthropologie des Populations Passées et Présentes, Allée Geoffroy ST Hilaire, Pessac Cedex 33615, France fanny.mendisco@gmail.com.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mendisco
authors.affiliation: Université de Bordeaux, UMR 5199 PACEA, Equipe Anthropologie des Populations Passées et Présentes, Allée Geoffroy ST Hilaire, Pessac Cedex 33615, France.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Pemonge
authors.affiliation: Université de Bordeaux, UMR 5199 PACEA, Equipe Anthropologie des Populations Passées et Présentes, Allée Geoffroy ST Hilaire, Pessac Cedex 33615, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leblay
authors.affiliation: Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives Guadeloupe, centre de Saint-Claude, rue des Gommiers Blancs Parnasse, Saint-Claude 97120, France.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Romon
authors.affiliation: Conseil regional de la Guadeloupe, Avenue Paul Lacavé, Basse-Terre 97100, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.affiliation: Université de Bordeaux, UMR 5199 PACEA, Equipe Anthropologie des Populations Passées et Présentes, Allée Geoffroy ST Hilaire, Pessac Cedex 33615, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Courtaud
authors.affiliation: Université de Bordeaux, UMR 5199 PACEA, Equipe Anthropologie des Populations Passées et Présentes, Allée Geoffroy ST Hilaire, Pessac Cedex 33615, France.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Deguilloux
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics* / Q000266:history; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics*; D005580:Fossils; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000379:methods; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014900:West Indies
chemical_list: D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004247:DNA
keywords: Caribbean region; Guadeloupe archipelago; Late Ceramic Age; ancient DNA; mitochondrial DNA