Genomic history of coastal societies from eastern South America

Sambaqui (shellmound) societies are among the most intriguing archaeological phenomena in pre-colonial South America, extending from approximately 8,000 to 1,000 years before present (yr bp) across 3,000 km on the Atlantic coast. However, little is known about their connection to early Holocene hunter-gatherers, how this may have contributed to different historical pathways and the processes through which late Holocene ceramists came to rule the coast shortly before European contact. To contribute to our understanding of the population history of indigenous societies on the eastern coast of South America, we produced genome-wide data from 34 ancient individuals as early as 10,000 yr bp from four different regions in Brazil. Early Holocene hunter-gatherers were found to lack shared genetic drift among themselves and with later populations from eastern South America, suggesting that they derived from a common radiation and did not contribute substantially to later coastal groups. Our analyses show genetic heterogeneity among contemporaneous Sambaqui groups from the southeastern and southern Brazilian coast, contrary to the similarity expressed in the archaeological record. The complex history of intercultural contact between inland horticulturists and coastal populations becomes genetically evident during the final horizon of Sambaqui societies, from around 2,200 yr bp, corroborating evidence of cultural change

Reconstructing the Deep Population History of Central and South America

We report genome-wide ancient DNA from 49 individuals forming four parallel time transects in Belize, Brazil, the Central Andes, and the Southern Cone, each dating to at least 9,000 years ago. The common ancestral population radiated rapidly from just one of the two early branches that contributed to Native Americans today. We document two previously unappreciated streams of gene flow between North and South America. One affected the Central Andes by 4,200 years ago, while the other explains an affinity between the oldest North American genome associated with the Clovis culture and the oldest Central and South Americans from Chile, Brazil, and Belize. However, this was not the primary source for later South Americans, as the other ancient individuals derive from lineages without specific affinity to the Clovis-associated genome, suggesting a population replacement that began at least 9,000 years ago and was followed by substantial population continuity in multiple regions

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Zooarchaeology of Lapa Grande de Taquaraçu

A Lapa Grande de Taquaraçu, localizada entre o carste de Lagoa Santa e a Serra do Cipó, apresenta datações do Holoceno Inicial (11.750-11.250 anos cal AP a 9.050-8.990 anos cal AP). Nesta época o território que atualmente corresponde ao Brasil Central já era habitado por diversas populações de caçadores-coletores, cuja economia tem sido caracterizada como de amplo espectro baseada na coleta de recursos vegetais e na caça de animais terrestres de pequeno e médio porte. O material faunístico proveniente de Taquaraçu foi analisado, sob a ótica da zooarqueologia, com a finalidade de testar a eficiência de três diferentes métodos de coleta de faunas (plotagem, peneiramento e triagem em campo e peneiramento e triagem em laboratório de amostras totais de sedimentos) e entender a exploração de recursos faunísticos pelos grupos humanos que utilizaram o abrigo em quatro momentos temporais escalonados ao longo do Holoceno Inicial. Os resultados do teste de métodos indicam que a plotagem privilegia o resgate de ossos de animais grande e médio porte, especialmente mamíferos; o peneiramento e a triagem dos elementos faunísticos em campo é apropriado para evidenciar o espectro faunístico presente no sítio, no entanto não permite a recuperação de ossos de animais menores ou elementos de difícil reconhecimento, subestimando sobretudo os peixes; e o peneiramento e a triagem em laboratório de amostras totais de sedimentos permite a recuperação de elementos pertencentes à taxa de tamanho pequeno, no entanto é pouco eficiente para caracterização da amplitude taxonômica presente no sítio. Diante dos resultados obtidos foi sugerido um protocolo para coleta de vestígios faunísticos em sítios abrigados. Com relação a exploração de recursos faunísticos, o registro zooarqueológico evidenciado em Taquaraçu insere os grupos que ocuparam este abrigo no contexto das economias generalistas do Holoceno Inicial da América do Sul, no entanto, neste sítio há a sugestão de amplo conhecimento de ambientes aquáticos, de modo que se pode afirmar que os caçadores-coletores que ocuparam Taquaraçu no Holoceno Inicial também eram pescadores.The Lapa Grande de Taquaraçu rockshelter, situated between the karst of Lagoa Santa and the Serra do Cipó, present dates of Early Holocene (11.750-11.250 anos cal AP a 9.050-8.990 anos cal AP). At this time the territory that now corresponds to Central Brazil was already inhabited by several populations of hunter-gatherers, whose economy has been characterized as a broad spectrum based on the collection of vegetal resources and the hunting of small and medium-sized land animals. The faunal material from Taquaraçu was analysed, from the perspective of Zooarchaeology, with the purpose of testing the efficiency of three different methods of collecting faunas (plotting, sieving and field screening and sieving and laboratory screening of total sediment samples) and to understand the exploitation of faunistic resources by human groups that used the shelter in four temporal moments along the Early Holocene. The results of the test methods indicate that the plot favors the rescue of large and medium-sized animal bones, especially mammals; the sieving and screening of the fauna elements in the field is appropriate to highlight the faunistic spectrum present in the site, however it does not allow the recovery of bones of smaller animals or elements of difficult recognition, especially underestimating the fish; and the laboratory sieving and screening of total sediment samples allows the recovery of elements belonging to the small size taxa, but is not efficient for characterizing the taxonomic range present in the site. In view of the results obtained, a protocol was suggested for the collection of faunal remains in sheltered sites. In relation to the exploitation of fauna resources, the zooarchaeological record evidenced in Taquaraçu inserts the groups that occupied this shelter in the context of the generalist economies of the Initial Holocene of South America, however, on this site there is a suggestion of a broad knowledge of aquatic environments, so that it can be said that the hunter-gatherers who occupied Taquaraçu in the Early Holocene were also fishermen

Reconstructing the Deep Population History of Central and South America.

We report genome-wide ancient DNA from 49 individuals forming four parallel time transects in Belize, Brazil, the Central Andes, and the Southern Cone, each dating to at least ∼9,000 years ago. The common ancestral population radiated rapidly from just one of the two early branches that contributed to Native Americans today. We document two previously unappreciated streams of gene flow between North and South America. One affected the Central Andes by ∼4,200 years ago, while the other explains an affinity between the oldest North American genome associated with the Clovis culture and the oldest Central and South Americans from Chile, Brazil, and Belize. However, this was not the primary source for later South Americans, as the other ancient individuals derive from lineages without specific affinity to the Clovis-associated genome, suggesting a population replacement that began at least 9,000 years ago and was followed by substantial population continuity in multiple regions

Reconstructing the Deep Population History of Central and South America.

We report genome-wide ancient DNA from 49 individuals forming four parallel time transects in Belize, Brazil, the Central Andes, and the Southern Cone, each dating to at least ∼9,000 years ago. The common ancestral population radiated rapidly from just one of the two early branches that contributed to Native Americans today. We document two previously unappreciated streams of gene flow between North and South America. One affected the Central Andes by ∼4,200 years ago, while the other explains an affinity between the oldest North American genome associated with the Clovis culture and the oldest Central and South Americans from Chile, Brazil, and Belize. However, this was not the primary source for later South Americans, as the other ancient individuals derive from lineages without specific affinity to the Clovis-associated genome, suggesting a population replacement that began at&nbsp;least 9,000 years ago and was followed by substantial population continuity in multiple regions