Ancient DNA and isotope analyses from Misión Salesiana, Tierra del Fuego

HARKINS, KELLY; MARIELA V. CUELLO; BRAVI CM; MOTTI JMB; L.O. VALENZUELA; BUIKSTRA, J; A. C. STONE; GARCÍA LABORDE, PAMELA; NIEVES COLON, M; R. A. GUICHÓN

Atlanta

Encuentro; 85th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists; 2016; 2016

Archaeological and biological data from individuals interred in the cemetery at Misión Salesiana (?Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria?) in Tierra del Fuego provide insight into the social and population history of this region. The mission was established in 1893 to Christianize the remaining Selknam, and the majority of burials in the cemetery are about 100 years old. Oxygen isotope and mitochondrial genome data were collected from individuals recovered during archaeological excavations at the cemetery. Oxygen isotope data (n=10) from tooth enamel suggest that most individuals buried in the cemetery are from the local region but one individual has a non-local signature. Mitochondrial genome sequences were recovered from all 15 individuals tested, and C1b and D1g5 were the most common lineages (47% and 17%, respectively). Two additional Native American lineages, D4h3a5 and C1c4 were found at lower frequencies (13% and 7%, respectively). This last lineage has not been previously reported in natives from Tierra del Fuego and corresponds to the individual with a non-local oxygen isotope value. Surprisingly, one individual had haplotype H1c which most likely reflects the inclusion of European individuals in the cemetery. These data were compared with those from modern samples from Argentina and Chile, including five newly generated mitogenomes from northern Tierra del Fuego. Both, modern and ancient samples share the same mitochondrial clades, which are restricted to southern South America. All C1b samples share two polymorphisms in the coding region, which define a new southern Patagonian clade.