Collaborative Research: Population Genetics of Machu Picchu

马丘比丘的印加城堡是人类社会历史和技术发展的标志性地标。马丘比丘建于15世纪，将精致的建筑与壮观的景观融为一体，为了解仪式、政治、天文学和农业的社会中心提供了一个考古案例研究。虽然该遗址是人类与自然环境相互作用的最杰出的例子之一，但我们对人类因素的了解相对较少。该项目使用基因分析来研究在马丘比丘生活和工作的人们的生物学和人口动态，并在此过程中解决从人类学、历史学到进化生物学和环境科学等学科的问题。该项目还将产生丰富的人类祖先基因组数据，这将成为遗传研究和培训新途径的公共资源。此外，鉴于马丘比丘作为国际公认的地标和联合国教科文组织世界遗产的地位，该项目为广泛参与人类遗传历史和考古保护提供了一个理想的机会。项目参与者将在美国和秘鲁举办双语公开研讨会，以促进公众对人类历史和多样性的了解。该项目还将纳入平行的双语博物馆展览，进一步促进长期的国际教育和研究合作。该项目使用最先进的方法对许多类型的古代DNA（核DNA、y染色体和线粒体DNA）进行测序，以检查整个印加帝国的人的基因组。这包括对马丘比丘遗址100多个墓葬的骨骼遗骸进行首次全面的基因分析。对这些个体的遗传分析，以及他们之间的生物学关系，将使我们能够检验围绕这个神秘地点的许多假设。这些问题包括马丘比丘及其居民的功能作用，以及印加帝国的多样性模式、移民和劳工散居。研究人员将把基因分析结果与马丘比丘之前的考古、形态和同位素数据进行比较，从而对该遗址及其社会历史背景有更全面的了解。了解印加帝国的人口动态将反过来对了解欧洲殖民之前的人类遗传历史和适应产生更广泛的影响。

The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is an iconic landmark of human social history and technical endeavor. Built in the 15th century, Machu Picchu integrates refined architecture with dramatic landscape, and provides an archeological case study in understanding social centers of ceremony, politics, astronomy and agriculture. Although the site is among the most outstanding examples of human interaction with the natural environment, we know relatively little about the human component. This project uses genetic analyses to examine the biology and population dynamics of the people who lived and worked at Machu Picchu, and in doing so addresses questions in disciplines ranging from anthropology and history to evolutionary biology and environmental science. The project will also generate a wealth of genomic data for ancestral human populations, which will be a public resource for new avenues in genetic research and training. Moreover, given the status of Machu Picchu as an internationally recognized landmark and UNESCO World Heritage site, this project provides an ideal opportunity to engage wide audiences in human genetic history and archeological conservation. The project participants will conduct bilingual public seminars in the US and Peru to promote public understanding of human history and diversity. The project will also be integrated into parallel bilingual museum exhibits, further promoting longer-term international educational and research collaborations. This project uses cutting-edge methods to sequence many types of ancient DNA (nuclear DNA, Y-chromosome, and mitochondrial DNA) to examine the genomes of people from throughout the Inca Empire. This includes the first comprehensive genetic analysis of the Machu Picchu skeletal remains from over 100 burials at the site. Genetic analyses of these individuals, and the biological relationships among them, will allow us to test many of the hypotheses surrounding this enigmatic site. These include questions regarding the functional role of Machu Picchu and its residents, and patterns of diversity, migration and labor diaspora in the Inca Empire. The investigators will compare the results of the genetic analysis with the previous archaeological, morphological and isotopic data from Machu Picchu, thus providing a more comprehensive understanding of the site and its socio-historical context. Understanding the population dynamics of the Inca Empire will in turn have broader impacts for understanding human genetic history and adaptation prior to European colonization.