Genetic Analysis of Indigenous Dogs from Siberia to Greenland: Implications for Interaction among their Human Companions

该项目扩展了目前的一项研究，题为“北美北极史前犬类遗骸的遗传分析：对它们人类同伴之间相互作用的影响”(ARC-1108175)。在北极，狗和人类紧密地交织在一起，因此，这个项目有助于人类学和考古学关于北方土著人民的运动和文化互动的讨论。由于人类DNA记录的巨大差距，最初的提案不仅调查了亚洲和北美狗的差异问题，还调查了使用狗的aDNA作为北极人类活动的代理的可能性。来自公元1000年之前和之后的狗的古代线粒体DNA与来自北极各地的现代因纽特狗的DNA(在接触后被测试为独立于欧亚种狗)进行了比较。这个项目已经对因纽特人的身份产生了更广泛的影响，因为研究人员已经证明，Qimmiq或Inuit雪橇狗是北美(墨西哥北部)仅存的本土品种，它至少在800年前伴随着该地区的祖先从西伯利亚迁徙到格陵兰岛。先前从阿拉斯加和加拿大(北美博物馆储存库)获取考古骨骼和牙齿样本的原始奖励工作导致公元1000年前的狗样本比预期的要少(n=29；约三分之一的原始估计)。因此，私人投资机构申请了额外的支助，以便能够前往丹麦哥本哈根的动物博物馆，从阿拉斯加(三个地点)、加拿大(一个地点)和格陵兰(两个地点)获取额外的公元1000年前的样本。与此同时，最初积极的结果和同事们压倒性的热情导致了高于预期的公元1000后样本(n=400)。由于处理这些样本的时间是最初估计的三倍多，他们正在利用这个机会培训更多的古代DNA(ADNA)研究生。此外，扩大的资金将支持使用被称为下一代的新的aDNA测序程序，该程序将提供更快的测序速度，并允许更高分辨率的序列。该方法的培训将在瑞典进行，然后将该方法传播给加州大学戴维斯分校的研究人员。PIs们希望，使用线粒体、Y染色体、STR和SNP标记以及常染色体微卫星对现代和古代样本进行更精细的分析，将使他们能够“估计东亚狗和北极狗之间的分歧时间”，并确定这些狗是在晚更新世在亚洲分化，还是在晚些时候的全新世分化。常染色体微卫星可能会反映足够的变异性，以检查所提出的与1950-1975年左右的流行病和/或潜在的因纽特犬扑杀有关的遗传瓶颈。这项研究已经提供了对当地因纽特人狗的第一次研究，现在将产生一个足够大的考古样本，足以接近生物种群。它还将强调利用人类同伴作为了解史前人类运动和相互作用的代理人的重要性。

This project expands on a current study entitled "Genetic Analysis of Prehistoric Canis Remains from Across the North American Arctic: Implications for Interactions among their Human Companions (ARC-1108175)." Dogs and humans are intimately intertwined in the Arctic, and thus this project is contributing to anthropological and archaeological discussions concerning the movements and cultural interactions of indigenous peoples across the north. Because of large gaps in the human-DNA record, the original proposal not only investigates questions of the divergence of Asian and North American dogs but also investigates the possibility of using dog aDNA as a proxy for human movement in the Arctic. Ancient mitochondrial DNA from pre- and post-1000 AD dogs are compared to DNA from modern Inuit dogs (tested for independence from Eurasian stock post-contact) from across the Arctic. This project has already had broader impacts for Inuit identity, as the researhers have demonstrated that the Qimmiq or Inuit sled dog is the only indigenous breed remaining in North America (north of Mexico), and it accompanied ancestors of this region in their migration from Siberia to Greenland at least 800 years ago. Previous work on the original award to obtain archaeological bone and tooth samples from Alaska and Canada (North American Museum repositories) resulted in lower pre-1000 AD dog samples than anticipated (n=29; ca. 1/3 original estimate). Thus the PIs applied for additional support to enable travel to the Zoological Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, to obtain additional pre-1000 AD samples from Alaska (three sites), Canada (one site) and Greenland (two sites). At the same time initially positive results and overwhelming enthusiasm from colleagues resulted in higher than anticipated post-1000 AD samples (n=400). With more than three times original estimate, the time to process these samples has increased; however, they are taking this opportunity to train additional graduate students in ancient DNA (aDNA).In addition, the expanded funding will support the use of a new aDNA sequencing routine known as next-generation that will provide much faster sequencing and allow for much higher resolution sequences. Training for this method will take place in Sweden, followed by dissemination of the method to researchers at UC Davis. The PIs hope that using more fined-grain analysis of modern and ancient samples using mitochondrial, Y-chromosome, STR and SNP markers, and autosomal microsatellites will allow them to "estimate the time of divergence between East Asian dogs and Arctic dogs," and determining whether these dogs diverged in Asia in the late Pleistocene or later during the later Holocene. Autosomal microsatellites may reflect enough variability to examine a proposed genetic bottleneck associated with an epidemic and/or potential culling Inuit dogs ca. 1950-1975. This study has already provided the first study of indigenous Inuit dogs, and now will produce an archaeological sample large enough to approximate a biological population. It will also underscore the importance of using human companions as a proxy for understanding prehistoric human movements and interactions.