Ancient mitogenomes from Central Patagonia Argentina: the last marshmallow of the jar in human dispersal history

CAMILA TAMBURRINI, VIRIDIANA VILLA ISLAS, MIRIAM BRAVO LÓPEZ, SILVIA DAHINTEN, JULIETA GÓMEZ-OTERO, MILLÁN GABRIELA, ALEJANDRA CASTILLO, CLAUDIO BRAVI, MARÍA C. ÁVILA-ARCOS, MARÍA LAURA PAROLIN

Cuernavaca México

Congreso; The Mexico Population Genomics Meeting 6 (MexPopGen6); 2023

UNAM

Given its low population size and a likely status as one of the lastregions inhabited by Homo sapiens during their dispersal through theAmericas, Patagonia plays a crucial role in the study of human populations. Togain a deeper understanding of the evolutionary processes of SouthAmerican populations, archaeologists and bioanthropologists haveextensively examined the region. In recent years, there has been an increasinginterest in conducting genomic studies on archaeological samples tocontribute to this understanding. Previous studies in Patagonia have revealedcertain lineages´ absence and low frequencies, indicating a populationbottleneck followed by genetic drift and isolation. However, these studieshave primarily focused on the southern tip of the region, which has its uniquehistory. In this study, we present the findings from the mitogenomic analysisof 43 hunter-gatherer individuals from the Atlantic coast of central Patagonia,ranging in age from 6070±80 to 200 yBP. Our results demonstrate a highdiversity of maternal lineages, including haplogroups restricted to the area.Additionally, shared haplotypes were identified among individuals fromdifferent periods and regions, indicating extensive contact networksconsistent with archaeological evidence from the area. As an integral part ofthe project, we have actively engaged with Indigenous communities throughmeetings and discussions, fostering knowledge transfer. We highlight andpresent the collaborative commitment between LIIGH-UNAM,IDEAus-CONICET, and the Indigenous communities in the area.