Ancient mitochondrial DNA in Mesoamerica and its Borderlands. The cases of Paquimé (AD 1200-1450), Greater Nicoya (AD 800-1250), and Central Mexico (AD 900-1519)

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atmire.migration.oldid6062
dc.contributor.advisorMcCafferty, Geoffrey
dc.contributor.authorMorales Arce, Ana Yansi
dc.contributor.committeememberKatzenberg, Mary Anne
dc.contributor.committeememberKooyman, Brian
dc.contributor.committeememberFedigan, Linda
dc.contributor.committeememberO'Rourke, Dennis
dc.date.accessioned2017-10-03T21:15:30Z
dc.date.available2017-10-03T21:15:30Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.date.submitted2017en
dc.description.abstractThis dissertation was designed to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on human ancient mitochondrial DNA analysis (aDNA) applied to archaeological contexts in the Americas. I used aDNA to evaluate prehistoric migration hypotheses by observing biological affinities of three major archaeological areas: Casas Grandes, Greater Nicoya, and Central Mexico, during the Postclassic period (A.D. 900-1521). My objectives were to recover mitochondrial haplotypes, within corresponding haplogroups, to explore hypothesized migrations from Central Mexico to two external cultural areas: Casas Grandes and Greater Nicoya, considered as the northern and southern Mesoamerican frontiers, respectively. I also investigated the biological affinities of two Central Mexican archaeological sites, Tlatelolco and Cholula, against ethnohistorical and archaeological records. Additional DNA sex determination was conducted for the Tlatelolco samples that belonged to subadult ritual victims. Standard PCR and high-throughput sequencing (HTS) methods were tested. For Casas Grandes and especially for Greater Nicoya better results were obtained with HTS methods. For Paquimé, I found strong evidence of genetic affinities between Paquimé and Mimbres, with the majority of haplotypes shared or derived from ancient Southwest US populations. However, whole mitogenomes recovered from Paquimé showed haplotypes found today in Mexican Americans. For Greater Nicoya, it was possible to reconstruct whole mitogenomes whose haplotypes and haplogroups are currently found in indigenous groups from Colombia and Panama. Finally, the analysis of Tlatelolco's and Cholula’s genetic affinities shows that their cultural history of rituals and ethnic compositions is also reflected in their genetic structure. A higher haplogroup A frequency was observed for the Tlatelolco population while an equal frequency of haplogroups A and B was found in Cholula. Most of Tlatelolco individuals were genetically related to the Mexica, Aztec, confirming their selection of sacrificial victims from within the group. Sex determination of Tlatelolco revealed them as females. Cholula sequence-based genetic distances showed a close affinity to ancient Otomí. My research is the first to successfully reconstruct human ancient mitochondrial genomes from ancient Central America and Mexico, and I provide the first genetic evidence of ancestry relationships among ancient inhabitants of Cholula, Greater Nicoya, and Casas Grandes.en_US
dc.identifier.citationMorales Arce, A. Y. (2017). Ancient mitochondrial DNA in Mesoamerica and its Borderlands. The cases of Paquimé (AD 1200-1450), Greater Nicoya (AD 800-1250), and Central Mexico (AD 900-1519) (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/24845en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/24845
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11023/4207
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectArchaeology
dc.subjectNative American Studies
dc.subjectGenetics
dc.subject.otherAncient DNA
dc.subject.otherMitogenomes
dc.subject.otherancient Mesoamerica
dc.subject.otherCholula
dc.subject.otherTlatelolco
dc.subject.otherChibchan groups
dc.subject.othermigration
dc.subject.otherCasas Grandes
dc.subject.otherHigh-Throughput sequencing
dc.titleAncient mitochondrial DNA in Mesoamerica and its Borderlands. The cases of Paquimé (AD 1200-1450), Greater Nicoya (AD 800-1250), and Central Mexico (AD 900-1519)
dc.typedoctoral thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineArchaeology
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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