The Genetic History of Native Americans

D. REICH; N. PATTERSON ; D. CAMPBELL ; A. TANDON; S. MAZIERES ; N. RAY; C.M. BRAVI ; M.-C. BORTOLINI ; F. SALZANO ; M.L. PETZL-ERLER ; V. ACUÑA-ALONZO; S. CANIZALES-QUNITEROS ; T. TUSIÉ-LUNA ; J. MOLINA ; A. CARRACEDO ; C. GALLO ; G. ALKORTA-ARANBURU ; D. LABUDA ; R. BARRANTES ; L. EXCOFFIER ; G. BEDOYA ; F. ROTHHAMMER ; W. KLITZ ; J. KIDD ; K. KIDD ; A. DI RIENZO ; N. FREIMER ; A. PRICE ; A. RUIZ-LINARES

Montreal

Congreso; 12th International Congress of Human Genetics - American Society of Human Genetics 61st Annual Meeting; 2011

American Society of Human Genetics

We assembled genetic data on more than 450,000 SNPs genotyped in 55 Native American and 16 Siberian populations. Our data are consistent with at least three pre-Colombian genetic interchanges with Eurasians: the initial peopling of the Americas; a migration involving relatives of Na-Dene speakers; and a migration involving ancestors of the Inuit. We also provide evidence of gene exchange between diverse Native North Americans and relatives of present-day Inuit. The genetic relationships among most Native Americans are well fit by a model of southward expansion, facilitated by the coast and with little gene flow after population separation. A striking exception is a Chibchan population cluster around Panama, that arose from a 2,400-9,300 year old mixture of a group related to eastern South Americans and an ancient lineage that branched prior to the separation of the ancestors of present-day Mexicans and South Americans.