Native Male Founder Lineages of America

Abstract

Native-American males carry a Y-chromosome lineage characterized by one base-pair polymorphism (M3). All populations from Alaska to the MagellanÕs Strait present this lineage in frequencies higher than 60%. This lineage was considered the ÒfounderÓ, but further information shows that M3 occurred in America, or Siberia shortly before migration to America and so it is actually considered autochthonous. It belongs to the Q haplogroup, shows derivate state for M242, M346, and M3 polymorphisms, and is named subhaplogroup Q1a3a. Another lineage, paragroup Q1a3*, entered America showing derived states for M242 and M346 polymorphisms, and ancestral for M3. It is present in Eurasia and is more frequent in North than in South America. Though found at low frequency, it has not been possible to rule out a genetic bottleneck occurrence during the migration to South America.