Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 82 (4): 543-552, 2009
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Archeological and mtDNA evidence for Tropical Lowland migrations during the Late Archaic /
Formative in northern Chile
The influence of tropical lowland migrations on the emergence of cultural change in the
Central Andes has been postulated in general terms since the beginning of last century (Tello 1929). Archeological and molecular
genetic evidence, particularly agriculture of tropical cultigens and ancient mtDNA haplogroup typing in northern Chile, suggest a
chronologically more precise relationship between both regions. We test in this article the hypothesis that the process of cultural
transformation of prehistoric populations living on the coast and the desert valleys of northern Chile can be partially linked to gene flow
from the eastern slopes of the Andes and/or from the tropical lowlands during the Late Archaic / Formative periods (ca. 3,500-2,000
B.P.).
Key words:
ancient mtDNA, Central
Andes, cultural change, tropical lowland migration
