title: Demographic History of Indigenous Populations in Mesoamerica Based on mtDNA Sequence Data.
abstract: The genetic characterization of Native American groups provides insights into their history and demographic events. We sequenced the mitochondrial D-loop region (control region) of 520 samples from eight Mexican indigenous groups. In addition to an analysis of the genetic diversity, structure and genetic relationship between 28 Native American populations, we applied Bayesian skyline methodology for a deeper insight into the history of Mesoamerica. AMOVA tests applying cultural, linguistic and geographic criteria were performed. MDS plots showed a central cluster of Oaxaca and Maya populations, whereas those from the North and West were located on the periphery. Demographic reconstruction indicates higher values of the effective number of breeding females (Nef) in Central Mesoamerica during the Preclassic period, whereas this pattern moves toward the Classic period for groups in the North and West. Conversely, Nef minimum values are distributed either in the Lithic period (i.e. founder effects) or in recent periods (i.e. population declines). The Mesomerican regions showed differences in population fluctuation as indicated by the maximum Inter-Generational Rate (IGRmax): i) Center-South from the lithic period until the Preclassic; ii) West from the beginning of the Preclassic period until early Classic; iii) North characterized by a wide range of temporal variation from the Lithic to the Preclassic. Our findings are consistent with the genetic variations observed between central, South and Southeast Mesoamerica and the North-West region that are related to differences in genetic drift, structure, and temporal survival strategies (agriculture versus hunter-gathering, respectively). Interestingly, although the European contact had a major negative demographic impact, we detect a previous decline in Mesoamerica that had begun a few hundred years before.
authors: Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: González-Martín
authors: Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Laboratorio de Identificación Genética, GENOMICA S.A.U., Grupo Zeltia, Parque Empresarial Alvento, Calle Vía de los Poblados 1, Edificio B 1ª Planta, 28033, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Amaya
authors: A
authors: Gorostiza
authors: Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Lucía
authors: L
authors: Regalado-Liu
authors: Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Arroyo-Peña
authors: Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Tirado
authors: Instituto de Investigación en Genética Molecular, Centro Universitario de la Ciénega, Universidad de Guadalajara, Ocotlán, Jalisco, Mexico.
authors: Ismael
authors: I
authors: Nuño-Arana
authors: Laboratorio de Genética, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY), Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
authors: Rodrigo
authors: R
authors: Rubi-Castellanos
authors: Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America.
authors: Karla
authors: K
authors: Sandoval
authors: American Registry of Pathology, Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, Dover, Delaware, United States of America.
authors: Michael D
authors: MD
authors: Coble
authors: Instituto de Investigación en Genética Molecular, Centro Universitario de la Ciénega, Universidad de Guadalajara, Ocotlán, Jalisco, Mexico.
authors: Héctor
authors: H
authors: Rangel-Villalobos
mesh_terms: D001499:Bayes Theorem; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018703:Founder Effect; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D005828:Genetics, Population / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000235:genetics; D008800:Mexico; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial