The ancestral Pueblo people of the US Southwest are the focus of considerable archaeological attention because their relationship with other populations in the region and Mexico are unknown. Prehistoric and modern Native Americans belong to one of five mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups, A, B, C, D and X. Previous studies have reported mtDNA haplogroup frequency distributions in prehistoric Pueblo remains that are characteristic of haplogroup frequencies observed in modern populations in the Southwest but very different from those of Mexico. However, shared derived mutations (haplotypes), which have been either absent from or limited in previous studies, can provide a more detailed view of the populations in the region. Two sites found in New Mexico, the Tommy and Mine Canyon sites, yielded aDNA in previous studies and this project will double the number of individuals studied from the Tommy Site and sequence the mtDNA control region in samples from both sites. This larger and better genetically characterized sample will aid in understanding the relationship between the two sites, as previous research demonstrated that there are significant mtDNA differences between them. Four hypotheses will be tested: (1) haplogroup B predominates among the 22 additional Tommy Site samples, and their sequences are shared with other Southwestern, but not Mexican, populations. (2) Samples belonging to haplogroup A are rare at the Tommy Site, but their haplotypes are shared with the Mine Canyon Site as well as other Southwest US populations where haplogroup A has been found at higher frequency. (3) Haplotypes of both haplogroups are shared with Mexican, but not Southwest US populations. (4) Haplotypes of males and females will differ, based on differing demographic factors. The larger sample in this study will aid in answering these, and other, questions by providing insight into regional migration and exploring potential differences between male and female migration among the prehistoric occupants of the desert Southwest.
The results of this study will contribute to a better understanding of Native American prehistory in the Southwest and its potential relationship to prehistoric cultures of Mexico. This project will enhance international cooperation and understanding regarding the common interests, including history and prehistory, of Mexico and the United States.
