The relationship of the Mimbres to other southwestern and Mexican populations

Meradeth Snow, Harry Shafer, David Glenn Smith

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

Previous aDNA research in the Southwest provides a framework to understand the Mimbres population which maintains a unique identity in the archeology of the desert Southwest of North America. Both the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups and haplotypes of a sample of 46 Mimbres individuals were identified from skeletal remains and compared to those of other ancient and modern populations in the American Southwest and Mexico. The haplogroup frequency distribution of the Mimbres resembles that of other Southwestern populations, suggesting a close relationship between the Mimbres and the neighboring populations and population continuity for a long period of time. However, their relatively low frequency of haplogroup A (11% n = 5) is consistent with a clinal distribution of haplogroup A from Mesoamerica to the Southwest. Moreover, unlike other Southwestern populations, the Mimbres share haplotypes with populations to the south, such as the Cora, Huichol, and Nahua, suggesting gene-flow from Mesoamerica. Here we discuss this data in light of the origin of the Mimbres population and their relationship to other Southwestern and Mexican populations.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3122-3133
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Archaeological Science
Volume38
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2011

Keywords

  • Ancient DNA
  • Mesoamerica
  • Mexico
  • Mimbers
  • MtDNA
  • Southwest

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