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

A genetic history of the pre-contact Caribbean

Humans settled the Caribbean about 6,000 years ago, and ceramic use and intensified agriculture mark a shift from the Archaic to the Ceramic Age at around 2,500 years ago1,2,3. Here we report genome-wide data from 174 ancient individuals from The Bahamas, Haiti and the Dominican Republic (collectively, Hispaniola), Puerto Rico, Curaçao and Venezuela, which we co-analysed with 89 previously published ancient individuals. Stone-tool-using Caribbean people, who first entered the Caribbean during the Archaic Age, derive from a deeply divergent population that is closest to Central and northern South American individuals; contrary to previous work4, we find no support for ancestry contributed by a population related to North American individuals. Archaic-related lineages were >98% replaced by a genetically homogeneous ceramic-using population related to speakers of languages in the Arawak family from northeast South America; these people moved through the Lesser Antilles and into the Greater Antilles at least 1,700 years ago, introducing ancestry that is still present. Ancient Caribbean people avoided close kin unions despite limited mate pools that reflect small effective population sizes, which we estimate to be a minimum of 500–1,500 and a maximum of 1,530–8,150 individuals on the combined islands of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola in the dozens of generations before the individuals who we analysed lived. Census sizes are unlikely to be more than tenfold larger than effective population sizes, so previous pan-Caribbean estimates of hundreds of thousands of people are too large5,6. Confirming a small and interconnected Ceramic Age population7, we detect 19 pairs of cross-island cousins, close relatives buried around 75 km apart in Hispaniola and low genetic differentiation across islands. Genetic continuity across transitions in pottery styles reveals that cultural changes during the Ceramic Age were not driven by migration of genetically differentiated groups from the mainland, but instead reflected interactions within an interconnected Caribbean world1,8.This work was supported by a grant from the National Geographic Society to M. Pateman to facilitate analysis of skeletal material from The Bahamas and by a grant from the Italian ‘Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’ (Italian archaeological, anthropological and ethnological missions abroad, DGPSP Ufficio VI). D.R. was funded by NSF HOMINID grant BCS-1032255, NIH (NIGMS) grant GM100233, the Paul Allen Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation grant 61220 and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.Peer reviewe

The Importance of Christianity and Christian Registered Student Organizations at Illinois State University

This project investigates the topic of Christianity at ISU by asking the following questions: Why is being involved in a Christian Registered Student Organization (RSO???s) important and even necessary for some students at ISU? Has participation in these groups been growing, and if so why? Is this a national trend, or just something that is occurring in central Illinois? What makes a student desire to join such RSO???s? On the basis of library research, participant observation, and interviews, the study finds that, due to increases external pressure and national media attention to Christianity, students have been turning to religious RSO???s more often in recent years. Membership to various organizations has increased dramatically. This trend has not only occurred on ISU???s Campus, but around the nation as well, as witnessed by the Christian Media Explosion. While people join a Christian RSO in need for guidance, they usually stay for the social network. Students often do not want to follow the traditions of their parents, but want to find something new, something from their own generation.unpublishe

The Mimbres Transitional Phase: Examining Social, Demographic, and Environmental Resilience and Vulnerability from AD 900-1000 in Southwest New Mexico

This dissertation uses new data from Woodrow Ruin to examine the Late Pithouse (AD 550-1000) to Classic period (AD 1000-1130) transition in the Mimbres region of southwest New Mexico. Prior explorations of the Mimbres Late Pithouse to Classic transition have lacked data from one of the largest sites in the region. Woodrow Ruin is a large, multi-component site that had previously received little professional investigation. Fieldwork at Woodrow Ruin for this dissertation demonstrated that it had a long, continuous occupation with a dense population during the Transitional period. Numerous techniques were used to procure data on the occupational history of Woodrow Ruin, and Late Pithouse to Classic period transformations. Surface survey, GPS mapping, and magnetometry were used to assess the number of structures present at the site and how the site’s population transformed through time. Eight structures were excavated to provide information on the Late Pithouse, Transitional, and Classic period occupations of the site. Ceramics, chipped stone, and botanical material from those structures was used to assess changes in subsistence, trade, and interaction between the Late Pithouse and Classic periods. Earlier archaeological investigations of the Mimbres Late Pithouse to Classic transition focused primarily on architecture. Data from Woodrow Ruin indicate that while significant architectural alterations occurred, these were only part of a suite of dramatic of transformations. Evidence of changes in trade and exchange networks, ritual practices, ideology, and social structure during the Transitional period were all found at Woodrow Ruin. Along with delineating multiple Transitional period changes, this dissertation examines causal factors for the Late Pithouse to Classic transformations. Environmental data indicates that the Transitional period occurred during a prolonged, severe drought. Resilience and vulnerability theories are used to examine the interplay of drought and social transformations during the Mimbres Transitional period. Anthropologists and archaeologists have used vulnerability and resilience to better understand socio-ecological transformations. Expectations from these theories suggest that while the inhabitants of Woodrow Ruin were susceptible prolonged drought during the tenth century, they were able to persist and stay in place through social reorganization

Combining ancient DNA and radiocarbon dating data to increase chronological accuracy

This paper examines how ancient DNA data can enhance radiocarbon dating. Because there is a limit to the number of years that can separate the dates of death of related individuals, the ability to identify relatives through ancient DNA analysis can serve as a constraint on radiocarbon date range estimates. To determine the number of years that can separate related individuals, we modeled maximums derived from biological extremes of human reproduction and death ages and compiled data from historic and genealogical death records. We used these data to jointly study the date ranges of a global dataset of individuals that have been radiocarbon dated and for which ancient DNA analysis identified at least one relative. We found that many of these individuals could have their date uncertainties reduced by building in date of death separation constraints. We examined possible reasons for date discrepancies of related individuals, such as dating of different skeletal elements or wiggles in the radiocarbon curve. We also developed a program, refinedate, which researchers can download and use to help refine the radiocarbon date distributions of related individuals. Our research demonstrates that when combined, radiocarbon dating and ancient DNA analysis can provide a refined and richer view of the past.This work was funded by NIH grant GM100233, the Paul Allen Foundation, John Templeton Foundation (grant number 6122).Peer reviewe

Ethics of DNA research on human remains: Five globally applicable guidelines

We are a group of archaeologists, anthropologists, curators and geneticists representing diverse global communities and 31 countries. All of us met in a virtual workshop dedicated to ethics in ancient DNA research held in November 2020. There was widespread agreement that globally applicable ethical guidelines are needed, but that recent recommendations grounded in discussion about research on human remains from North America are not always generalizable worldwide. Here we propose the following globally applicable guidelines, taking into consideration diverse contexts. These hold that: (1) researchers must ensure that all regulations were followed in the places where they work and from which the human remains derived; (2) researchers must prepare a detailed plan prior to beginning any study; (3) researchers must minimize damage to human remains; (4) researchers must ensure that data are made available following publication to allow critical re-examination of scientific findings; and (5) researchers must engage with other stakeholders from the beginning of a study and ensure respect and sensitivity to stakeholder perspectives. We commit to adhering to these guidelines and expect they will promote a high ethical standard in DNA research on human remains going forward.Fil: Alpaslan Roodenberg, Songül. Harvard Medical School; Estados Unidos. Universidad de Viena; AustriaFil: Anthony, David. Harvard University; Estados UnidosFil: Babiker, Hiba. Max Planck Institute For The Science Of Human History; Estados UnidosFil: Bánffy, Eszter. No especifíca;Fil: Booth, Thomas. No especifíca;Fil: Capone, Patricia. Harvard University; Estados UnidosFil: Deshpande Mukherjee, Arati. No especifíca;Fil: Eisenmann, Stefanie. Institut Max Planck for Evolutionary Anthropology; AlemaniaFil: Fehren Schmitz, Lars. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Frachetti, Michael. Washington University in St. Louis; Estados UnidosFil: Fujita, Ricardo. Universidad de San Martín de Porres; PerúFil: Frieman, Catherine J.. The Australian National University; AustraliaFil: Fu, Qiaomei. No especifíca;Fil: Gibbon, Victoria. University of Cape Town; SudáfricaFil: Haak, Wolfgang. Max Planck Institute For The Science Of Human History; AlemaniaFil: Hajdinjak, Mateja. The Francis Crick Institute; Reino UnidoFil: Hofmann, Kerstin P.. Deutsches Archäologisches Institut; AlemaniaFil: Holguin, Brian. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Inomata, Takeshi. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Kanzawa Kiriyama, Hideaki. National Museum Of Nature And Science; JapónFil: Keegan, William. University Of Florida. Florida Museum Of History; Estados UnidosFil: Kelso, Janet. Institut Max Planck for Evolutionary Anthropology; AlemaniaFil: Krause, Johannes. Institut Max Planck for Evolutionary Anthropology; AlemaniaFil: Kumaresan, Ganesan. Madurai Kamaraj University; IndiaFil: Kusimba, Chapurukha. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Kusimba, Sibel. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Lalueza Fox, Carles. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; EspañaFil: Llamas, Bastien. University of Adelaide; AustraliaFil: MacEachern, Scott. University of Duke; Estados UnidosFil: Mallick, Swapan. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Matsumura, Hirofumi. Sapporo Medical University; JapónFil: Morales Arce, Ana Y.. University of Bern; SuizaFil: Motuzaite Matuzeviciute, Giedre. Vilniaus Universitetas; LituaniaFil: Mushrif Tripathy, Veena. Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute; IndiaFil: Nakatsuka, Nathan. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Nores, Rodrigo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Ogola, Christine. National Museums Of Kenya; KeniaFil: Okumura, Mercedes. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Patterson, Nick. Harvard University; Estados UnidosFil: Pinhasi, Ron. Universidad de Viena; AustriaFil: Prasad, Samayamantri P. R.. No especifíca;Fil: Prendergast, Mary E.. Rice University; Estados UnidosFil: Punzo, Jose Luis. No especifíca;Fil: Reich, David. Harvard University; Estados Unidos. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Sawafuji, Rikai. The Graduate University For Advanced Studies; JapónFil: Sawchuk, Elizabeth. University of Alberta; CanadáFil: Schiffels, Stephan. Institut Max Planck for Evolutionary Anthropology; AlemaniaFil: Sedig, Jakob. Harvard University; Estados Unidos. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Shnaider, Svetlana. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Sirak, Kendra. Harvard University; Estados Unidos. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Skoglund, Pontus. The Francis Crick Institute; Reino UnidoFil: Slon, Viviane. Universitat Tel Aviv; IsraelFil: Snow, Meradeth. University Of Montana Missoula; Estados UnidosFil: Soressi, Marie. Leiden University; Países BajosFil: Spriggs, Matthew. The Australian National University; AustraliaFil: Stockhammer, Philipp W.. Ludwig Maximilians Universitat; Alemania. Institut Max Planck for Evolutionary Anthropology; AlemaniaFil: Szécsényi Nagy, Anna. No especifíca;Fil: Thangaraj, Kumarasamy. Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology; IndiaFil: Tiesler, Vera. Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; MéxicoFil: Tobler, Ray. University of Adelaide; AustraliaFil: Wang, Chuan Chao. Xiamen University; ChinaFil: Warinner, Christina. Institut Max Planck for Evolutionary Anthropology; Alemania. Harvard University; Estados UnidosFil: Yasawardene, Surangi. No especifíca;Fil: Zahir, Muhammad. Hazara University; Pakistá

Ethics of DNA research on human remains: five globally applicable guidelines.

We are a group of archaeologists, anthropologists, curators and geneticists representing diverse global communities and 31 countries. All of us met in a virtual workshop dedicated to ethics in ancient DNA research held in November 2020. There was widespread agreement that globally applicable ethical guidelines are needed, but that recent recommendations grounded in discussion about research on human remains from North America are not always generalizable worldwide. Here we propose the following globally applicable guidelines, taking into consideration diverse contexts. These hold that: (1) researchers must ensure that all regulations were followed in the places where they work and from which the human remains derived; (2) researchers must prepare a detailed plan prior to beginning any study; (3) researchers must minimize damage to human remains; (4) researchers must ensure that data are made available following publication to allow critical re-examination of scientific findings; and (5) researchers must engage with other stakeholders from the beginning of a study and ensure respect and sensitivity to stakeholder perspectives. We commit to adhering to these guidelines and expect they will promote a high ethical standard in DNA research on human remains going forward

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 least 9,000 years ago and was followed by substantial population continuity in multiple regions