Genetic structure of Mataco-Guaycurú speakers from Argentina and the extent of their genetic admixture with neighbouring urban populations

Abstract

Argentina hosts more than 30 Native American groups, who are widely distributed throughout the country. Mataco-Guaycurú speakers settled in the ecoregion of Gran Chaco and represent 26.7% of the extant aboriginal population of the country. To further investigate the genetic attributes of these speakers, we focused our attention on four aboriginal groups, namely, Wichí, Toba, Pilagá and Mocoví, belonging to the Mataco-Guaycurú linguistic group. Our main goal was to evaluate the interrelationships among the groups and the relationships of these groups with admixed urban populations and to assess correspondences between molecular analysis and historical information. A total of 890 samples (282 Native Americans and 608 inhabitants of admixed urban areas) were analysed. Genetic information was gathered from 15 autosomal STRs, 17 Y-STRs, entire mtDNA control region sequences, 24 AIM-SNPs and 46 AIM-DIPs. Native American signatures were detected in 97.9% of mtDNA lineages, 89.1% of Y-haplotypes and 90.3% to 96.9% of autosomal markers. Wichí exhibited the genetic composition with the largest Native American contribution among the groups and a weak signal of gene flow. This work provides extended genetic information of potential interest in the fields of molecular anthropology and forensic genetics.

The Ancestry of Eastern Paraguay: A Typical South American Profile with a Unique Pattern of Admixture

“…For instance, four haplotypes inside haplogroups A2+64 (n = 1), B2b3a (n = 2) and B2i1(n = 1) were traced to Jê groups living in Central-West and North Brazil [67]. Moreover, three haplotypes inside haplogroups A2+64, B2b3a and D1 were previously reported in Mataco-Guaycurú natives from Argentina [66]. Two out of 11 C1b8 samples have the same haplotype as samples from Tupi-Guarani natives in Brazil [67].…”

“…Gradient maps based on mtDNA haplogroup frequencies were designed in Surfer software v.16.0.330 (Golden Software, LLC), using the Kriging method for interpolating frequency values. To investigate associations between haplotypes and linguistic affiliation, and thus scrutinize the native component in the country, we searched for shared haplotypes among Paraguay and Native South American populations [26,[62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69] (see details in Supplementary Table S4).…”

Una aproximación a la reconstrucción de la historia poblacional del Nordeste argentino desde el estudio de los linajes uniparentales

“…Los antecedentes de estudios de ADN mitocondrial en la región pueden dividirse en dos grandes grupos: los que se han orientado al análisis de poblaciones aborígenes (Cabana et al, 2006;Sala et al, 2010;Sevini et al, 2013;Sala et al, 2019) y aquellos que analizan las fracciones del componente nativo en las poblaciones "cosmopolitas" o mestizas (Bobillo et al, 2010;Catelli et al, 2011;Sevini et al, 2013;Badano et al, 2018). Particularmente, entre estos últimos, se informan valores de linajes maternos nativos que van desde el 47% (Bobillo et al, 2010) a 68,6% (Badano et al, 2018) en la provincia de Misiones, hasta 80% en Corrientes y Formosa (Bobillo et al, 2010).…”

“…Sevini et al (2013) distinguen un componente andino y otro amazónico entre los criollos 1 y los wichís del Chaco, respectivamente. Por último, Sala et al (2019) corroboran la homogeneidad de los grupos Qom que 1 Los autores del citado trabajo hacen referencia al término "criollo" como la población mestiza que surge como resultado de los matrimonios entre las mujeres de poblaciones aborígenes y los primeros colonizadores varones europeos que arribaron al territorio.…”

Genetic portrait of the Amazonian communities of Peru and Bolivia: The legacy of the Takanan‐speaking people

“…Despite the widespread admixture, it seems that the Tupian-speakers like Guarayo (descendants of Guaraní), Siriono (or Chori), Guaraní (scattered in Beni and Santa Cruz Departments), and Chiriguano (a pejorative name given by the Incas, also called 'Guaraní' in colonial times) resisted Spanish incursions (Block, 1994;Métraux, 1942;Nordenskiold, 1917;Sala et al, 2019). The nomadic Siriono families avoided contact with foreigners and remained isolated, although some individuals were brought to missions such as the Chiquitos and Yuracare villages (Lehm et al, 2004).…”