ANCIENT DNA FROM A PRE-COLUMBIAN AMERINDIAN POPULATION

Ancient DNA was obtained from skeletal remains from the Norris Farms # 36 cemetery, a pre-Columbian archeological site in central Illinois th at dates to A.D. 1300. Four mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers were ana lyzed that delineate the four primary mtDNA lineages found in contempo rary Amerindian populations, mtDNA types were determined for 50 indivi duals; 49 belonged to one of these four lineages. One lineage occurred only in males, suggesting an immigration of maternally related males into this community. There was no significant spatial patterning of mt DNA lineages within the cemetery. This survey of ancient DNA variation in a pre-Columbian population supports the view that the initial colo nization of the New World comprised just four primary mtDNA lineages. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.