POPULATION STRUCTURE AND INTERREGIONAL INTERACTION IN PRE- HISPANIC MESOAMERICA: A BIODISTANCE STUDY DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By B. Scott Aubry, B.A., M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 2009 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Clark Spencer Larsen, Adviser Professor Paul Sciulli _________________________________ Adviser Professor Sam Stout Graduate Program in Anthropology Professor Robert DePhilip Copyright Bryan Scott Aubry 2009 ABSTRACT This study addresses long standing issues regarding the nature of interregional interaction between central Mexico and the Maya area through the analysis of dental variation. In total 25 sites were included in this study, from Teotihuacan and Tula, to Tikal and Chichen Itza. Many other sites were included in this study to obtain a more comprehensive picture of the biological relationships between these regions and to better estimate genetic heterozygosity for each sub-region. The scope of the present study results in a more comprehensive understanding of population interaction both within and between the sub-regions of Mesoamerica, and it allows for the assessment of differential interaction between sites on a regional scale. Both metric and non-metric data were recorded. Non-metric traits were scored according to the ASU system, and dental metrics include the mesiodistal and buccolingual dimensions at the CEJ following a modification of Hillson et al. (2005). Biodistance estimates were calculated for non-metric traits using Mean Measure of Divergence. R-matrix analysis, which provides an estimate of average genetic heterozygosity, was applied to the metric data. R-matrix analysis was performed for each of the sub-regions separately in order to detect specific sites that deviate from expected levels of genetic heterozygosity in each area. ii Results indicate important biological relationships between sites that are largely consistent with current archaeological models indicating long term interaction and migration. Of additional importance is that specific sites were isolated in each of these two regions that deviate from expected levels of allelic diversity, and that have unexpectedly small biological distance estimates to sites outside their region. With respect to the questions posed in this research, many of these sites are the same sites that have also been determined to be important archaeologically. Although the existence of these relationships have been inferred from the archaeological data, most of these relationships have never been detected biologically. These results presented here are further supported by the fact that both the non-metric and metric variation produced similar distance matrices, something unusual in dental morphology studies. iii DEDICATION The dissertation is dedicated to my family. I would have never finished this project if had not been for my wife, who should really be co-author on this for all the work she did for me during this research. I would also like to thank my son, Paden, who has patiently traveled with me and my wife through Mexico and Guatemala as I collected my data. I love you both. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation would not have been possible without the support of numerous funding agencies. A National Science Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant, Tinker Field Research Grant (Center for Latin American Studies—the Ohio State University), and Alumni Grants for Graduate Research (Graduate School—the Ohio State University) funded two trips to the Peabody Museum and one and a half years of data collection at various facilities in Mexico and Guatemala. At the Peabody Museum, Dr. Michele Morgan was an immense help in getting me access to materials and in the collection of the data. I would like to thank the board at the museum for granting me permission to study the skeletal collections at the museum. For access to the Mexican collections, the Mexican The Consejo de Arqueología (INAH), and the director of the Consejo, Dr. Garcia Moll are given my greatest thanks for approving my convenio to conduct research in Mexico. It was a long and difficult task to get access to the materials, but everyone that I met was extremely helpful. Dr. Pompa y Padilla granted me access collections in the Dirección de Antropología Fisica at the Museo Nacional de Antropología despite showing up unannounced. At Teotihuacan, I would like to Dr. Ruben Cabrera and Dr. Sarabia for allowing me to analyze the skeletal collections curated at the site. Dr. Linda Manzanilla (UNAM) deserves special thanks for allowing me access to analyze her skeletal collections. The collections under her care were the first ones that I studied in Mexico.There are numerous researchers and students v at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucátan (UADY) and Universidad Autónoma de Campeche (UAC) that I would like to thank for all their help in accomodating a foreigner with surprisingly poor Spanish (it has since improved). Dr. Andrea Cucina and Dr. Vera Tiesler, at UADY, were extremely helpful during this entire process, and I am forever grateful. Sometimes I wonder if I would have been able to get access to the materials that I needed had it not been for their help in the beginning. Dr. Folan and Dr. Cuyuk at UAC in Campeche, were extremely accomdating for granting me access to the Calakmul collections and for doing so on very short notice. My research in Guatemala would not have gone so smoothly if it was not for the assistance of researchers and staff at the Instituto de Antropología e Historia (IDAEH) and the Museo Nacional de Antropología e Etnología (MNAE). Dr. Jorge Mario, Dr. Ortiz de Leon, and Dr. Aguilar at IDAEH all deserve special mention. Dr. Claudia Monzón, at the MNAE was a pleasure to meet, and not only because her English was impeccable. At Atlas Arqueologico, Dr. Leporte was kind enough to grant me access to his collections and to give me a place to work. I really appreciate his help, and I look forward to seeing him again. I would like to thank the director of Tikal National Park, Dr. Jorge Sanchez, who allowed me access to the Tikal collections. While at Tikal, Dr. Gomez was particular helpful by allowing me to individuals from an ongoing excavation. I am grateful to the many researchers and staff at INAH facilities in Merida, Chiapas, and Mexico City, including Dr. Arias Lopez, Dr. Eduardo Perez, Dr. Emiliano Galaga. Dr. Arias Lopez deserves special mention because he worked with me to get my convenio approved through the Consejo of Archaeology. His persistence helped me immensely, and I hope to see him again soon. I would also like to thank my good friend Dr. vi Kimberly Willliams for all her help during this research. Her help has been invaluable. Finally, I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Larsen, and my committee, Dr. Sciulli, Dr. Stout, and Dr. DePhilip for all their help and guidance during my PhD program, it is truly appreciated. vii VITA 1996……………………………….B.A. Anthropology, University of Central Florida 2003…………………………….…M.A. Anthropology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale (SIUC). 1999-2000…………………………Research Assistant. Anthropology Museum, SIUC. 2000-2002…………………………Research Assistant. Center for Archaeological Investigations, SIUC. 2002……………………………….T.A. Instructor. SIUC 2002-2008…………...…………….T.A. Instructor. The Ohio State University PUBLICATIONS 2002 Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology of the Vascular Circulation of the Calvarium. Annual Meeting of the Paleopathology Association, Buffalo, NY. Published in the Paleopathology Newsletter. 2001 Reanalysis of Possible Trephination from the Mississippian Site of Kane Mounds (11-Ms-104) in Madison County, Illinois. Annual Meeting of the Paleopathology Association, Kansas City, MO. Published in the Paleopathology Newsletter. 2001 Paleopathological Analysis of the Human Skeletal Remains of the Schroeder Site near Durango Mexico. Annual Meeting of the Paleopathology Association, Kansas City, MO. Published in the Paleopathology Newsletter. FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Anthropology viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………..ii Dedication……………………………………………………………………………….iv Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………....v Vita..…………………………………………………………………………………....viii List of tables…………………………………………………………………………….xvi List of figures………………………………………………………………….………..xvii Chapters: 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………......1 Understanding cultural change……………………………………………5 Materialization of ideology……………………………………………….6 Purpose………………………………………………………………..….13 Population genetics theory..................……………………………..…….16 Genetic heterozygosity..............................................................................18 Organization of Dissertation………………………………………..……19 Discussion.................................................................................................21 Summary...................................................................................................22 2. Mesoamerican population history………………………………………….…....27 ix Introduction................................................................................................27 Interregional interaction.............................................................................27 Early Classic migrations………………………………………………....31 A historical perspective on migrations………………………………......34 Late Classic migrations: Southern Maya Lowlands..................................37 Terminal Classic migrations: