Doctoral Dissertation Research: Genetic Diversity of the Colonial Chesapeake: Insights into Kinship and the Trans-Atlantic Colonization of the United States

这个博士论文项目将调查亲属关系在塑造当今人类遗传多样性模式中的影响，并探索在美国的非洲侨民个人的祖先。研究人员将对17世纪马里兰州、弗吉尼亚州和特拉华州切萨皮克殖民地的考古个体和后代种群的基因组多样性进行表征。该项目的跨学科方法将过去和当代后代人口的DNA数据与考古、档案和历史信息相结合，以更好地了解过去的人口统计过程如何塑造了当今的遗传变异。调查人员将与历史和家谱学会密切合作，并举行外展研讨会，讨论遗传学的应用，以告知历史，家庭和个人家谱研究问题。这些讲习班将有助于对成人学习者进行公共科学教育，提高对遗传祖先结果解释的科学素养。研究人员将进行遗传变异的历时分析，以评估亲属关系在殖民背景下形成人类遗传多样性模式的影响。他们将与历史和家谱学会合作，招募150名与17世纪切萨皮克殖民地有家谱关系的研究参与者，并使用genicchip 2.0微阵列表征线粒体DNA、y染色体和常染色体SNP变异。完整的线粒体和全核基因组散弹枪测序也将对来自两个考古遗址的29个人进行，Patuxent Point（1650-1680，马里兰州）和Avery's Rest（1680-1710，特拉华州）。这些样本群体的遗传祖先模式和内婚制水平将被表征，以确定地理起源和可能的亲属关系。研究结果将有助于深入了解欧洲殖民前100年的人口动态和切萨皮克地区殖民的遗传遗产，并提供来自17世纪欧洲殖民者和北美殖民地被奴役的非洲人的古代DNA数据。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This doctoral dissertation project will investigate the impact of kinship in shaping patterns of present-day human genetic diversity and explore ancestries of individuals in the African diaspora in the United States. The investigators will characterize the genomic diversity of archaeological individuals and descendant populations from the 17th century Chesapeake colonies of Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. This project's interdisciplinary approach combines DNA data from past and contemporary descendant populations with archeological, archival and historical information to better understand how demographic processes in the past have shaped present-day genetic variation. The investigators will work closely with historical and genealogical societies and hold outreach workshops discussing the application of genetics to inform historical, family, and personal genealogical research questions. These workshops will contribute to public science education for adult learners, enhancing scientific literacy surrounding the interpretation of genetic ancestry results.The investigators will conduct a diachronic assay of genetic variation to assess the impact of kinship in shaping patterns of human genetic diversity in colonization contexts. They will collaborate with historical and genealogical societies to recruit 150 study participants with genealogical ties to the 17th century Chesapeake colonies and characterize mitochondrial DNA, Y-chromosome and autosomal SNP variation using the GenoChip 2.0 microarray. Complete mitochondrial and whole nuclear genome shotgun sequencing will also be conducted on 29 individuals from two archaeological sites, Patuxent Point (1650-1680, Maryland) and Avery's Rest (1680-1710, Delaware). Patterns of genetic ancestry and levels of endogamy within these sample populations will be characterized to determine geographic origins and possible kin relations. The results will provide insights into the population dynamics of the first 100 years of European colonization and the genetic legacy of colonization in the Chesapeake region, and provide ancient DNA data from 17th century European colonists and enslaved African individuals from colonial North America.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.