Puerto Rican Haplogroup Distribution: A Taíno History

Author

Paige Mackenzie Williams, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow

Year of Award

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Anthropology (Forensic Anthropology Option)

Department or School/College

Anthropology

Committee Chair

Dr. Meradeth Snow

Commitee Members

Dr. Meradeth Snow, Dr. Randall Skelton, Dr. Doug Emlen

Keywords

Puerto Rico, Taíno, Haplogroup C1b2

Subject Categories

Latina/o Studies | Puerto Rican Studies

Abstract

The extent to which Puerto Rico’s indigenous communities resisted, survived, and were transformed by colonization is unclear despite extensive ethnohistorical research. Historical claims of extinction are attributed to colonial census information but are strongly opposed by islanders who claim Indigenous Taíno ancestry (Nieves-Colón et al. 2019). Ethnic composition of Puerto Ricans is primarily European, African, and Indigenous and these compositions reflect migrations and admixture. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is of vast importance, as it permits tracing of the maternal line through a common female ancestor. In this, investigation of Indigenous haplogroup frequencies and their importance and relevance in Puerto Rican genetic history are explored.

Recommended Citation

Williams, Paige Mackenzie, "Puerto Rican Haplogroup Distribution: A Taíno History" (2024). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 12277.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/12277