Distribution of the four founding lineage haplotypes in native Americans suggests a single wave of migration for the New World

Abstract

The distribution of the four founding lineage haplogroups in Native Americans from North, Central, and South America shows a north to south increase in the frequency of lineage B and a North to South decrease in the frequency of lineage A. All four founding lineage haplogroups were detected in North, Central, and South America, and in Greenberg et al.'s ([1986] Curr. Anthropol. 27:477-497) three major linguistic groups (Amerind, NaDene, and Eskaleut), with all four haplogroups often found within a single population. Lineage A was the most common lineage in North America, regardless of language group. This overall distribution is most parsimonious with a single wave of migration into the New World which included multiple variants of all four founding lineage types. Torroni et al.'s ([1993a] Am. J. Hum. Genet. 53:563-590) report that lineage B has a more recent divergence time than the other three lineages can best be explained by multiple variants of lineages A, C, and D, and fewer variants of lineage B entering the New World. Alternatively, there could have been multiple waves of migration from a single parent population in Asia/Siberia which repeatedly reintroduced the same lineages to the New World.

Probing deeper into first American studies

“…The distribution of these haplo- groups are seemingly consistent with either a single major migration from Asia to the New World (28,29,34,(36)(37)(38) or multiple migrations from one genetically homogenous source population somewhere in northeast to east Asia (33,39,40). Ancient DNA markers from human skeletons also show North American haplotypes of Asia origin (30,31) …”

“…The most accepted interpretation is a single migration between Ϸ20.0 and 12.0 KYA either along the Pacific coast or along an interior route (28,34,36,42) and possibly a later one passing through the northerly inland route between the Laurentide and Cordillera ice sheets Ϸ14.5 KYA. Other studies point to multiple migrations along the coast and into the interior (40).…”

Molecular variability in Amerindians: widespread but uneven information

“…The collapse of ice sheets 14,000 to 20,000 years BP isolated Beringia from the rest of the continent during some time (2,000-6,000 years), and it was there that the NaDene and Eskimo diverged biologically. Amerind Torroni et al (1992Torroni et al ( , 1993Torroni et al ( , 1994; Shields et al (1993); Horai et al (1993); Ginther et al (1993); Santos et al (1994); Bailliet et al (1994); Merriwether et al (1995Merriwether et al ( , 1996Merriwether et al ( , 2000; Batista et al (1995); Kolman et al (1995); Bianchi et al (1995); Lorenz and Smith (1996); Santos (1996); Easton et al (1996); Ward et al (1996); ; Huoponen et al (1997); Kolman and Bermingham (1997); Rickards et al (1999); Mesa et al (2000); Keyeux et al (2001); unpublished data of S.L. Bonatto, F.M.…”

Genetic analysis of paleo-colombians from Nemocón, Cundinamarca provides insights on the early peopling of northwestern South America

“…Previous research has revealed five "Pan-American" mtDNA haplogroups, A, B, C, D and X, classified in the major lineages A2, B2, C1, D1 and X2a, with the minor lineages C4c, D2a, D3a nd D4h3 (Tamm, et al 2007;Achilli, et al 2008). More recently, complete mtDNA analysis has revealed 15 sub-haplogroups, considered as founder lineages of the New World: A2*, A2a, A2b, B2, C1b, C1c, C1d*, C1d1, C4c, D1, D2a, D3, D4h3a, X2a and X2g (Merriwether, et al 1995;Achilli, et al 2008;Perego, et al 2009). Molecular data generated by different genetic systems and computer simulations has been used to clarify dispersal routes and periods of entry into the Americas.…”