Dissertation Research: Analysis of Ancient mtDNA from California's Central Valley

古代DNA是检验与史前时期人口迁移和扩张有关的假说的宝贵工具。分子生物学技术的进步，包括聚合酶链式反应(PCR)的自动化，使检测从古人类遗骸中提取的线粒体DNA(MtDNA)成为可能。这为直接调查史前人类的遗传物质提供了机会。考古学和语言学证据表明，史前人口在北美的流动是普遍和普遍的。因此，许多当代美洲原住民居住在与他们的祖先不同的地理区域，如果没有遗传信息，很难评估古代和现代人口之间的关系。在这个项目中，来自加州中央山谷人口的古代和现代DNA将被用来测试关于该地区人口和人口结构的具体假设。语言证据表明，在加州中央山谷，说佩努蒂亚语的人口开始取代讲霍坎语的人口，大约4000码。虽然考古和语言数据表明加州、大盆地和哥伦比亚高原的人民之间存在着实质性的互动，但通过对这些地区的古代DNA研究获得的基因数据将提供对文化相似性和生物关联性之间联系的洞察。在过去的3000年里，史前加州的迁徙也与技术的传播联系在一起。从这些史前人类遗骸中提取的DNA可以用来模拟狩猎-采集人口迁移的速度和时间，并检查资源获取做法转变的人口统计学后果。这些信息直接关系到对美洲最初人口增加的时间和模式的建模。

Ancient DNA is a valuable tool with which to test hypotheses relating to population movements and expansions in prehistoric times. Advances in molecular biological techniques, including the automation of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), has made it possible to examine mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) extracted from ancient human remains. This provides an opportunity to directly investigate genetic material from prehistoric peoples. Archaeological and linguistic evidence suggest that prehistoric population movements in North America were widespread and common. Consequently, many contemporary Native American populations occupy a different geographical region from their ancestors and assessing relationships between ancient and modern populations is difficult without genetic information. In this project, ancient and modern DNA from populations in the Central Valley of California will be used to test specific hypotheses regarding the peopling and population structure of the region. Linguistic evidence suggests that a Penutian speaking population began replacing Hokan speaking populations in California Central Valley approximately 4000ybp. While archaeological and linguistic data suggest substantial interaction among the peoples of California, the Great Basin, and the Columbia Plateau, the genetic data obtained through ancient DNA studies in these regions will provide insight into the association between cultural similarities and biological relatedness. Migrations in prehistoric California have also been tied to the spread of technology in the last 3000 years. DNA extracted from these prehistoric human remains can be used to model the speed and timing of migrations of hunter-gatherer populations, and to examine the demographic consequences of a shift in resource acquisition practices. This information bears directly on modeling the timing and mode of the initial peopling of the Americas.