1. Between Andes and Amazon: The genetic profile of the Arawak-speaking Yanesha.
- Author
-
Barbieri, Chiara, Heggarty, Paul, Yang Yao, Daniele, Ferri, Gianmarco, De Fanti, Sara, Sarno, Stefania, Ciani, Graziella, Boattini, Alessio, Luiselli, Donata, and Pettener, Davide
- Subjects
HISTORY of the Andes ,AMUESHA language ,ARAWAK language ,POPULATION dynamics ,ARCHAEOLOGY - Abstract
ABSTRACT The Yanesha are a Peruvian population who inhabit an environment transitional between the Andes and Amazonia. They present cultural traits characteristic of both regions, including in the language they speak: Yanesha belongs to the Arawak language family (which very likely originated in the Amazon/Orinoco lowlands), but has been strongly influenced by Quechua, the most widespread language family of the Andes. Given their location and cultural make-up, the Yanesha make for an ideal case study for investigating language and population dynamics across the Andes-Amazonia divide. In this study, we analyze data from high and mid-altitude Yanesha villages, both Y chromosome (17 STRs and 16 SNPs diagnostic for assigning haplogroups) and mtDNA data (control region sequences and 3 SNPs and one INDEL diagnostic for assigning haplogroups). We uncover sex-biased genetic trends that probably arose in different stages: first, a male-biased gene flow from Andean regions, genetically consistent with highland Quechua-speakers and probably dating back to Inca expansion; and second, traces of European contact consistent with Y chromosome lineages from Italy and Tyrol, in line with historically documented migrations. Most research in the history, archaeology and linguistics of South America has long been characterized by perceptions of a sharp divide between the Andes and Amazonia; our results serve as a clear case-study confirming demographic flows across that 'divide'. Am J Phys Anthropol 155:600-609, 2014. © 2014 The Authors. American journal of physical Anthropology published by Wiley Periodocals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF