A South American Prehistoric Mitogenome: Context, Continuity, and the Origin of Haplogroup C1d

PLoS One. 2015 Oct 28;10(10):e0141808. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141808. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), it has been estimated that at least 15 founder haplogroups peopled the Americas. Subhaplogroup C1d3 was defined based on the mitogenome of a living individual from Uruguay that carried a lineage previously identified in hypervariable region I sequences from ancient and modern Uruguayan individuals. When complete mitogenomes were studied, additional substitutions were found in the coding region of the mitochondrial genome. Using a complete ancient mitogenome and three modern mitogenomes, we aim to clarify the ancestral state of subhaplogroup C1d3 and to better understand the peopling of the region of the Río de la Plata basin, as well as of the builders of the mounds from which the ancient individuals were recovered. The ancient mitogenome, belonging to a female dated to 1,610±46 years before present, was identical to the mitogenome of one of the modern individuals. All individuals share the mutations defining subhaplogroup C1d3. We estimated an age of 8,974 (5,748-12,261) years for the most recent common ancestor of C1d3, in agreement with the initial peopling of the geographic region. No individuals belonging to the defined lineage were found outside of Uruguay, which raises questions regarding the mobility of the prehistoric inhabitants of the country. Moreover, the present study shows the continuity of Native lineages over at least 6,000 years.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • American Indian or Alaska Native / genetics*
  • Archaeology
  • Brazil
  • Co-Repressor Proteins / genetics
  • DNA, Mitochondrial
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Genetics, Population*
  • Genome, Mitochondrial*
  • Genomics* / methods
  • Haplotypes
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Humans
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Substances

  • C1D protein, human
  • Co-Repressor Proteins
  • DNA, Mitochondrial

Grants and funding

The work was supported by Agencia Nacional de Investigacion e Innovacion, Uruguay (www.anii.org.uy/), Grant FCE_2011_1_7157 to MS. The work was also supported by National Science Foundation (www.nsf.gov/), BCS-745459 and BCS-1025139 to RSM. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.