MTDNA VARIATION IN THE YANOMAMI - EVIDENCE FOR ADDITIONAL NEW-WORLD FOUNDING LINEAGES

Native Americans have been classified into four founding haplogroups w ith as many as seven founding lineages based on mtDNA RFLPs and DNA se quence data. mtDNA analysis was completed for 83 Yanomami from eight v illages in the Surucucu and Catrimani Plateau regions of Roraima in no rthwestern Brazil. Samples were typed for 15 polymorphic mtDNA sites ( 14 RFLP sites and 1 deletion site), and a subset was sequenced for bot h hypervariable regions of the mitochondrial D-loop. Substantial mitoc hondrial diversity was detected among the Yanomami, five of seven acce pted founding haplotypes and three others were observed. Of the 83 sam ples, 4 (4.8%) were lineage B1, 1 (1.2%) was lineage B2, 31 (37.4%) we re lineage C1, 29 (34.9%) were lineage C2, 2 (2.4%) were lineage D1, 6 (7.2%) were lineage D2, 7 (8.4%) were a haplotype we designated ''X6, '' and 3 (3.6%) were a haplotype we designated ''X7.'' Sequence analys is found 43 haplotypes in 50 samples. B2, X6, and X7 are previously un recognized mitochondrial founding lineage types of Native Americans. T he widespread distribution of these haplotypes in the New World and As ia provides support for declaring these lineages to be New World found ing types.