Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: Population Structure and Demographic History of Prehistoric Alaskan Populations Using Ancient DNA and Cranial Morphology

人类学中一个长期存在的问题是，随着时间的推移，生物变化与相关的物质文化之间的相关性。当提出相关技术和文化属性被替换的证据时，可以在多大程度上假设人口也被替换了？自1942年Larsen和Rainey在阿拉斯加霍普点首次发掘以来，科学家们研究了接触前的蒂加拉(公元800-300年)和伊普塔克(公元2100年-1300年)物质文化之间的关系。根据碳14年代和相关考古学，这两个群体都有不同的时间和文化背景。虽然相关的考古学表明，在公元前1200年至600年之间，霍普点发生了文化变化，但这种文化变化与人类生物学变化之间的关系尚不清楚。这项研究的主要目的是通过量化Ipiutak和Tigara种群之间的分子和形态差异来评估关于种群连续性的替代假说。这样做的目的有两个：评估在Point Hope通过具有文化属性的时间轨迹进行的遗传分化是否会发生变化，并对用于探索种群结构随时间变化的不同类型的遗传数据进行方法学比较。离散和数量颅骨性状的形态变异将与古代线粒体DNA序列变异结合使用，以量化这两个时期之间的种群结构变化。然后，通过与其他环北极地区和美洲原住民人口的比较，将人口变化置于更广泛的生物学背景中。随着人们对气候变化对环境影响的兴趣最近高涨，现在是了解环境动态如何随着时间的推移影响人口结构和文化生活方式的合适时机。这项研究将带来关于历史人口如何通过迁徙和文化适应来应对环境困难的新见解。样本种群的独特关系位于北极同一沿海地点，但相隔1000多年，这为应用形态和分子分析方法解决种群在环境不稳定时期随时间的连续性问题提供了独特的机会。此外，这项研究还将提供北极历史种群的新分子数据。这些分析将帮助我们更好地理解人类生物多样性的辐射，为遗传和文化变化之间的相关性提供新的见解，并将这种关系应用到类似的环境中，这种关系对理解种群动态非常重要。这项研究的结果将产生相当广泛的影响。所有数据和结果将提交给Point Hope Inupiat的成员；关于mtDNA的数据也将提供给公众可访问的GenBank和美国自然历史博物馆的遗传数据库。这些数据将阐明人类生物多样性的辐射，为遗传和文化变化之间的关系(S)提供新的见解，并有助于更广泛地了解人口动态。

One of the long standing questions in anthropological science is the correlation over time between biological change and associated material culture. When presented with evidence for replacement of associated technology and cultural attributes, to what extent can the assumption be made that the populations have been replaced as well? Since the initial excavations at Point Hope, Alaska by Larsen and Rainey in 1942, scientists have examined the relationship between pre-contact Tigara (800-300yBP) and Ipiutak (2100-1300 yr BP) material cultures. Based on carbon 14 dates and associated archaeology, these two groups have both distinct temporal and cultural affiliations. While the associated archaeology suggests a cultural change at Point Hope between 1200-600 yr BP, the relationship between this cultural shift and any human biological changes is not clear. The primary goal of this research is to evaluate alternative hypotheses concerning population continuity by quantifying the molecular and morphological differences between the Ipiutak and Tigara populations. The purpose for doing this is two-fold: to assess whether genetic differentiation through time tracks with cultural attribute changes at Point Hope, and to make a methodological comparison between different types of genetic data used to explore population structure changes over time. Morphological variation in discrete and quantitative cranial traits will be used in conjunction with ancient mitochondrial DNA sequence variation in order to quantify population structure changes between the two time periods. Population changes will then be placed in a broader biological context through comparison with other Circum-Arctic and Native American populations.With a recent upsurge in interest of the impact of climate change on the environment, this is an appropriate time to get an historical overview of how environmental dynamics have affected population structure and cultural lifeways over time. This research will lead to new insights concerning how historic populations have dealt with environmental difficulties through migration and cultural adaptation. The unique relationship of the sample populations, located at the same coastal Arctic site yet separated by over 1000 years, presents a unique opportunity for applying morphological and molecular analysis methods for addressing issues of population continuity over time through periods of environmental instability. In addition, this research will provide new molecular data from historical Arctic populations. These analyses will help us better understand the radiation of human biological diversity, providing new insights into the correlation between genetic and cultural change, with applications to similar contexts where this relationship is important to understanding population dynamics.Results of this research will have considerable broader impact. All data and results will be presented to members of the Point Hope Inupiat; data on mtDNA will also be made available to the publicly accessible genbank and American Museum of Natural History's genetic data bases. These data will shed light on the radiation of human biological diversity, providing new insights into the relationship(s) between genetic and cultural change, and facilitating broader understanding of population dynamics.