Year of Award

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Anthropology (Forensic and Biological Anthropology)

Other Degree Name/Area of Focus

Molecular Anthropology

Department or School/College

Department of Anthropology

Committee Chair

Dr. Meradeth Snow

Commitee Members

Dr. Randall Skelton, Dr. Bruce Hardy

Abstract

The long-standing movement of people, exchange of goods, and transmission of cultural traits are imprinted not only in the archaeological record but also within the genomes of individuals, making ancient DNA a powerful tool for uncovering past interactions and population dynamics. Despite attempts at systematic research, we are still missing critical information about pre-Columbian Mesoamerican populations in the Aztatlán region. This research will focus on those individuals recovered from archaeological sites located both in the highlands of the Lake Chapala Basin, as well as the coast of the Aztatlán core region. The integration of genetics into our understanding of the past affords a better understanding of the archaeological record and a more comprehensive understanding of past population structure/interactions. This project will include the collection and comparison of mitogenomes between those recovered individuals through ancient DNA (aDNA) extraction and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing. The subsequent mitogenomes will result in some of the first genetic data from that region of the world, acting as a foundational dataset for future generations, and allowing for broader comparisons with the larger Mesoamerican region. By utilizing mtDNA, specifically whole mitogenomes, there is an opportunity to investigate questions about migration and matrilineal kinship, while also exploring questions of gene flow and genetic variation. Drawing on the ability to comparatively analyze this genetic information, this research will specifically focus on the examination of genetic diversity between sites.

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