RUI-Amerindian mtDNA Sequence Haplotypes in the Dominican Republic: A Look at Taino Prehistory

这个Rui项目旨在启发我们了解接触时伊斯帕尼奥拉和波多黎各土著人民之间存在的遗传关系。历史和考古材料表明，在接触时，阿拉瓦坎文化在两个岛屿上占主导地位，两个岛屿上的一些强人之间存在亲属关系。然而，这两个岛屿上的种群，甚至岛内群体之间的遗传可能几乎没有关系。考古学和人类学对这些岛屿的多样性、大陆起源和首批殖民者的下落进行了考古学和人类学研究，这些殖民者是缺乏陶瓷技术的狩猎采集者，目前尚无定论。关于来自中美洲或北美和南美洲的迁徙路线的理论比比皆是，它们的程度和重叠程度都有很大不同。一种最常见的理论认为，波多黎各西部和伊斯帕尼奥拉东部至少有一些重叠。陶瓷，阿拉瓦坎文化首先在波多黎各蓬勃发展，后来从南美洲移民过来。到公元600年，它催生了奥斯蒂奥南陶器制造商，他们的技术很快就被引入了伊斯帕尼奥拉。据认为，一些人从波多黎各迁徙到伊斯帕尼奥拉。到目前为止，也有人提议从南美大陆直接移民。新来者融入伊斯帕尼奥拉的程度在很大程度上仍然不得而知。岛屿内部和岛屿之间群体之间的遗传关系无法确定，这一事实阻碍了西班牙编年史所报道的关于岛屿之间政治和社会互动起源的理论的进步。这也对这些岛屿现代种群中美洲印第安人部分可能存在的遗传分化提出了质疑，显示美洲印第安人线粒体DNA(MtDNA)频率分别为23%(多米尼加共和国)和61%(波多黎各)。根据波多黎各121个现代美洲印第安人mtDNA控制区序列构建的单群特异性中位网络，鉴定了史前不同时间到达波多黎各的假定创始人单倍型。在这个项目中，来自多米尼加共和国的498个mtDNA将被RFLP分型，根据美洲印第安人mtDNA控制区序列构建的中间网络将识别mtDNA分支及其可能的创建者单倍型。创始人的序列单倍型将与文献中的其他序列单倍型进行比较，试图确定它们来自大陆。他们还将被与那些从波多黎各寻找共同创始人的人进行比较。在这种情况下，可以根据每个岛上分支的核苷酸多样性和合并时间来确定迁移的方向。与波多黎各共享的单倍型也将被寻找，因为一个岛屿派生的单倍型可能是另一个岛屿的创始人。在这种情况下，移徙的方向将被明确指出。史前人口的扩张将通过错配分布分析来揭示，并通过中值网络与估计的日期相证实。由于波多黎各的一些现代美洲印第安人的mtDNA已经与陶瓷时代联系在一起，它们在伊斯帕尼奥拉的频率将导致对迁移到伊斯帕尼奥拉的程度的估计，这可能是伴随着奥斯蒂安陶器制造技术而来的。该项目的科学价值在于，它将通过推动分子遗传分析在实地的使用，加强侧重于加勒比史前殖民的人类学和考古学研究。该项目的更广泛影响是，它将通过向五名波多黎各荣誉本科生提供分子人类学领域的校园研究经验和培训，使本科生的选择和兴趣多样化，这些本科生从大学三年级开始，根据对研究的承诺和对参与人类学、进化论或人口遗传学相关领域的博士项目的明显兴趣而被选中。此外，该项目还将促进本机构与多米尼加共和国考古地区博物馆Altos de Chavon之间的国际合作。

This RUI project aims to enlighten us on the genetic relationships that existed between the native peoples of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico at the time of contact. Historical and archaeological material show that an Arawakan culture predominated in both islands at the time of contact and that kinship existed between some strongmen in both islands. However, the genetics of the populations of both islands and even between groups within islands could have bared little relationship. Archaeological and anthropological studies on the diversity, the continental origin and the whereabouts of the first colonizers of these islands, hunter-gatherers who lacked ceramic technology, are inconclusive. Theories abound on migratory routes stemming from Central America or North America on one side and South America on the other, the extent and overlap of which are proposed to exceedingly various degrees. One of the most common theories proposes at least some overlap in western Puerto Rico and eastern Hispaniola. The ceramic, Arawakan culture flourished first in Puerto Rico from subsequent migrations from South America. By 600 A.D., it gave rise to Ostionan-pottery makers whose technology was introduced shortly thereafter into Hispaniola. It is proposed that some migration from Puerto Rico accompanied its dispersal into Hispaniola. Direct migration from the South American mainland by this time has also been proposed. The extent of the introgression of newcomers into Hispaniola remains largely unknown. The fact that the genetic relationships between groups within and between islands cannot be ascertained stymies the advancement of theories on the genesis of the political and social interactions that the Spanish chronicles reported between them. It also brings into question the genetic differentiation that may exist in the Amerindian portion of the genotypes in the modern populations of these islands, which have shown Amerindian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) frequencies of 23% (Dominican Republic) and 61% (Puerto Rico).Haplogroup-specific median networks constructed from control region sequences of 121 modern Amerindian mtDNAs in Puerto Rico have identified putative founder haplotypes arriving to Puerto Rico at different times in prehistory. In this project, 498 mtDNAs from the Dominican Republic will be typed by RFLP, and median networks constructed from control region sequences of Amerindian mtDNAs will identify mtDNA clades and their putative founder haplotypes. Sequence haplotypes of founders will be compared to others in the literature in an attempt to determine their continental origin. They will also be compared to those from Puerto Rico in search of founders in common. In such a case, the direction of migration may be determined from the nucleotide diversity and the coalescent time of the clades in each island. Haplotypes shared with Puerto Rico will also be sought, as a haplotype derived in one island could be a founder in the other. In that case, the direction of migration would be unambiguously indicated. Prehistoric demographic expansions will be revealed by mismatch distribution analyses and confirmed with estimated datings through median networks. As some modern Amerindian mtDNAs in Puerto Rico have already been associated to the Ceramic Age, their frequency in Hispaniola will lead toward an estimate of the extent of the migration into Hispaniola that presumably accompanied the Ostionan-pottery making technology. The scientific merit of this project is that it will reinforce anthropological and archaeological studies focused on the prehistoric colonization of the Caribbean by advancing the use of molecular genetic analysis in the field. The broader impact of the project is that it will diversify undergraduate student options and interests by providing on-campus research experience and training in the field of molecular anthropology to five Puerto Rican honor undergraduates starting their third year in college, and selected based on a demonstrated commitment to research and a manifested interest to join Ph.D. programs in fields related to anthropology, evolution, or population genetics. In addition, this project will further international cooperation between our institution and the Archaeological Regional Museum Altos de Chavon in the Dominican Republic.