For over 30 years, Dr. Schurr has conducted anthropological genetics research, combining ethnographic fieldwork and bioarchaelogical research with the laboratory analysis of DNA samples collected in the field. During this time, his research focused on elucidating the population history of Siberia and the Americas. As part of the Genographic Project, he and his colleagues worked with indigenous and native descendant populations from Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico and the United States. Outside of the Americas, he has explored the population dynamics of Turkey, Georgia, Pakistan, South Africa, Australia and Melanesia. In addition to these anthropological studies, his projects have investigated mitochondrial diseases in human populations as well as the role of the mtDNA in complex disease, metabolism and adaptation.
In this study, we present the results of community-engaged ancient DNA research initiated after t... more In this study, we present the results of community-engaged ancient DNA research initiated after the remains of 36 African-descended individuals dating to the late 18th century were unearthed in the port city of Charleston, South Carolina. The Gullah Society of Charleston, along with other Charleston community members, initiated a collaborative genomic study of these ancestors of presumed enslaved status, in an effort to visibilize their histories. We generated 18 low-coverage genomes and 31 uniparental haplotypes to assess their genetic origins and interrelatedness. Our results indicate that they have predominantly West and West-Central African genomic ancestry, with one individual exhibiting some genomic affiliation with populations in the Americas. Most were assessed as genetic males, and no autosomal kin were identified among them. Overall, this study expands our understanding of the colonial histories of African descendant populations in the US South.
With the sequencing of an additional 112 mtDNAs from individuals living in the eastern municipali... more With the sequencing of an additional 112 mtDNAs from individuals living in the eastern municipalities of Puerto Rico, we aim to investigate the following: 1) Discern if there are any regional differences in haplogroup frequencies in Puerto Rico; 2) Assess the relative genetic affinity of indigenous Puerto Rican haplogroups to those of neighboring Cuba and the Caribbean more broadly; and 3) Characterize any unique indigenous haplotype lineages to the eastern municipalities.
... Map of Lake Baikal region and location of Lokomotiv ... of the archaeological context that ar... more ... Map of Lake Baikal region and location of Lokomotiv ... of the archaeological context that are directly relevant from the perspective of the interpretation of the ancient DNA information ... The grave goods accompanying the burials were rich and varied and included fishing and hunting ...
The 17th-century colonization of North America brought thousands of Europeans to Indigenous lands... more The 17th-century colonization of North America brought thousands of Europeans to Indigenous lands in the Delaware region, which comprises the eastern boundary of the Chesapeake Bay in what is now the Mid- Atlantic region of the United States.1 The demographic features of these initial colonial migrations are not uni- formly characterized, with Europeans and European-Americans migrating to the Delaware area from other countries and neighboring colonies as single persons or in family units of free persons, indentured servants, or tenant farmers.2 European colonizers also instituted a system of racialized slavery through which they forcibly transported thousands of Africans to the Chesapeake region. Historical information about African- descended individuals in the Delaware region is limited, with a population estimate of less than 500 persons by 1700 CE.3,4 To shed light on the population histories of this period, we analyzed low-coverage genomes of 11 individuals from the Avery’s Rest archaeological site (circa 1675–1725 CE), located in Delaware. Previous osteological and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence analyses showed a southern group of eight individ- uals of European maternal descent, buried 15–20 feet from a northern group of three individuals of African maternal descent.5 Autosomal results further illuminate genomic similarities to Northwestern European refer- ence populations or West and West-Central African reference populations, respectively. We also identify three generations of maternal kin of European ancestry and a paternal parent-offspring relationship between an adult and child of African ancestry. These findings expand our understanding of the origins and familial relationships in late 17th and early 18th century North America.
The 17th century Chesapeake Bay region represents an early locus of European settlement in North ... more The 17th century Chesapeake Bay region represents an early locus of European settlement in North America to which both British migrants and African slaves were brought. However, relatively little research into the genetic diversity of these early colonists has been conducted, thereby limiting our understanding the settlement history and kinship patterns of this time period. Here, we present the first genetic findings for individuals who were buried at the Avery’s Rest archaeological site near present day Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. This site contained a small plantation that was occupied from the late 1680s to the early 1720s. Previous osteological analysis indicated that 8 Europeans and 3 Africans were buried at the site, and separated by ancestry into two burial clusters. We successfully extracted DNA out of metatarsal, metacarpal, and rib samples from these 11 individuals at the University of Tennessee’s Ancient DNA lab. We sequenced the entire mtDNA control region to determine the extent of haplotypic diversity in the individuals from the site. Our results verify the osteological determination of ancestry, and report the extent of mitochondrial diversity at the site. Our results indicate sharing of mtDNA haplotypes between individuals, suggesting they are matrilineal kin. In addition, we explore the diversity of African mitochondrial haplotypes in relation to the slave trade. Overall, this work will contribute to an understanding of the settlement pattern in the early American colonial period and the socio-political forces that shaped it.
Abstract After discovering the first kurgans in the steppes, the archaeologists were faced with t... more Abstract After discovering the first kurgans in the steppes, the archaeologists were faced with the need to determine the social status of buried persons and the relationship between people buried within the same necropolis. Archaeology has developed its methods and criteria for assessing the social status of buried persons, such as the size of the burial kurgans, the location of burials in the center or on the periphery of the kurgan, the wealth of implements, etc. With the introduction of paleogenetic methods into archeology, new opportunities for research in this direction are opening up. The analysis of ancient DNA is a tool that allows you not to assume but to establish consanguinity. This study presents the archaeological and molecular analysis of human remains from the East-Manych variant of the Catacomb culture. Catacomb culture dominated eastern Ukraine and southern Russia in the 3rd millennium BCE. The skeletons were recovered from kurgans of the Ergeninskii kurgan group in Kalmykia (Russia) that were radiocarbon dated the Bronze Age (25th–23rd century BCE). Y-chromosome STR analysis revealed that both individuals belonged to haplogroup R1b. This paternal lineage appears at high frequency in central, western, and northern Europe, and commonly appears among the Yamnaya. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA variation revealed the Catacomb males to belong to haplogroups H and N, respectively, both of which also appeared in the Yamnaya. These genetic data suggest a possible relationship between the Catacomb and Yamnaya cultures and contribute to our understanding of the cultural and historical processes occurring in the steppes of Eastern Europe during the Bronze Age.
The strategic location of Pakistan and its presence at the crossroads of Asia has resulted in it ... more The strategic location of Pakistan and its presence at the crossroads of Asia has resulted in it playing a central role in both prehistoric and historic human migratory events, thereby linking and facilitating contacts between the inhabitants of the Middle East, Central Asia, China and South Asia. Despite the importance of this region and its inhabitants for our understanding of modern human origins and population dispersals, the nature of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation among members of the myriad populations of this area has largely been unexplored. Here, we report mtDNA control region sequences in 58 individuals from the Khattak and the Kheshgi, two major Pakhtun tribes residing within the Peshawar Valley of northwestern Pakistan. The results reveal that these ethnic groups are genetically heterogeneous, having 55.7% West Eurasian, 33.9% South Asian and 10.2% East Asian haplogroups. The genetic diversity observed for the Kheshgi was somewhat higher than that of the Khattak. A multidimensional scaling plot based on haplogroup frequencies for the Khattak, Kheshgi and neighboring populations indicates that the Khattak have close affinities with Baluch, Uzbek and Kazak populations but are only distantly related to the Kheshgi and other Pakistani populations. By contrast, the Kheshgi cluster closely with other Pakhtun or Pathan populations of Pakistan, suggesting a possible common maternal gene pool shared amongst them. These mtDNA data allow us to begin reconstructing the origins of the Khattak and Kheshgi and describe their complex interactions with populations from the surrounding regions.
In this study, we present the results of community-engaged ancient DNA research initiated after t... more In this study, we present the results of community-engaged ancient DNA research initiated after the remains of 36 African-descended individuals dating to the late 18th century were unearthed in the port city of Charleston, South Carolina. The Gullah Society of Charleston, along with other Charleston community members, initiated a collaborative genomic study of these ancestors of presumed enslaved status, in an effort to visibilize their histories. We generated 18 low-coverage genomes and 31 uniparental haplotypes to assess their genetic origins and interrelatedness. Our results indicate that they have predominantly West and West-Central African genomic ancestry, with one individual exhibiting some genomic affiliation with populations in the Americas. Most were assessed as genetic males, and no autosomal kin were identified among them. Overall, this study expands our understanding of the colonial histories of African descendant populations in the US South.
With the sequencing of an additional 112 mtDNAs from individuals living in the eastern municipali... more With the sequencing of an additional 112 mtDNAs from individuals living in the eastern municipalities of Puerto Rico, we aim to investigate the following: 1) Discern if there are any regional differences in haplogroup frequencies in Puerto Rico; 2) Assess the relative genetic affinity of indigenous Puerto Rican haplogroups to those of neighboring Cuba and the Caribbean more broadly; and 3) Characterize any unique indigenous haplotype lineages to the eastern municipalities.
... Map of Lake Baikal region and location of Lokomotiv ... of the archaeological context that ar... more ... Map of Lake Baikal region and location of Lokomotiv ... of the archaeological context that are directly relevant from the perspective of the interpretation of the ancient DNA information ... The grave goods accompanying the burials were rich and varied and included fishing and hunting ...
The 17th-century colonization of North America brought thousands of Europeans to Indigenous lands... more The 17th-century colonization of North America brought thousands of Europeans to Indigenous lands in the Delaware region, which comprises the eastern boundary of the Chesapeake Bay in what is now the Mid- Atlantic region of the United States.1 The demographic features of these initial colonial migrations are not uni- formly characterized, with Europeans and European-Americans migrating to the Delaware area from other countries and neighboring colonies as single persons or in family units of free persons, indentured servants, or tenant farmers.2 European colonizers also instituted a system of racialized slavery through which they forcibly transported thousands of Africans to the Chesapeake region. Historical information about African- descended individuals in the Delaware region is limited, with a population estimate of less than 500 persons by 1700 CE.3,4 To shed light on the population histories of this period, we analyzed low-coverage genomes of 11 individuals from the Avery’s Rest archaeological site (circa 1675–1725 CE), located in Delaware. Previous osteological and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence analyses showed a southern group of eight individ- uals of European maternal descent, buried 15–20 feet from a northern group of three individuals of African maternal descent.5 Autosomal results further illuminate genomic similarities to Northwestern European refer- ence populations or West and West-Central African reference populations, respectively. We also identify three generations of maternal kin of European ancestry and a paternal parent-offspring relationship between an adult and child of African ancestry. These findings expand our understanding of the origins and familial relationships in late 17th and early 18th century North America.
The 17th century Chesapeake Bay region represents an early locus of European settlement in North ... more The 17th century Chesapeake Bay region represents an early locus of European settlement in North America to which both British migrants and African slaves were brought. However, relatively little research into the genetic diversity of these early colonists has been conducted, thereby limiting our understanding the settlement history and kinship patterns of this time period. Here, we present the first genetic findings for individuals who were buried at the Avery’s Rest archaeological site near present day Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. This site contained a small plantation that was occupied from the late 1680s to the early 1720s. Previous osteological analysis indicated that 8 Europeans and 3 Africans were buried at the site, and separated by ancestry into two burial clusters. We successfully extracted DNA out of metatarsal, metacarpal, and rib samples from these 11 individuals at the University of Tennessee’s Ancient DNA lab. We sequenced the entire mtDNA control region to determine the extent of haplotypic diversity in the individuals from the site. Our results verify the osteological determination of ancestry, and report the extent of mitochondrial diversity at the site. Our results indicate sharing of mtDNA haplotypes between individuals, suggesting they are matrilineal kin. In addition, we explore the diversity of African mitochondrial haplotypes in relation to the slave trade. Overall, this work will contribute to an understanding of the settlement pattern in the early American colonial period and the socio-political forces that shaped it.
Abstract After discovering the first kurgans in the steppes, the archaeologists were faced with t... more Abstract After discovering the first kurgans in the steppes, the archaeologists were faced with the need to determine the social status of buried persons and the relationship between people buried within the same necropolis. Archaeology has developed its methods and criteria for assessing the social status of buried persons, such as the size of the burial kurgans, the location of burials in the center or on the periphery of the kurgan, the wealth of implements, etc. With the introduction of paleogenetic methods into archeology, new opportunities for research in this direction are opening up. The analysis of ancient DNA is a tool that allows you not to assume but to establish consanguinity. This study presents the archaeological and molecular analysis of human remains from the East-Manych variant of the Catacomb culture. Catacomb culture dominated eastern Ukraine and southern Russia in the 3rd millennium BCE. The skeletons were recovered from kurgans of the Ergeninskii kurgan group in Kalmykia (Russia) that were radiocarbon dated the Bronze Age (25th–23rd century BCE). Y-chromosome STR analysis revealed that both individuals belonged to haplogroup R1b. This paternal lineage appears at high frequency in central, western, and northern Europe, and commonly appears among the Yamnaya. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA variation revealed the Catacomb males to belong to haplogroups H and N, respectively, both of which also appeared in the Yamnaya. These genetic data suggest a possible relationship between the Catacomb and Yamnaya cultures and contribute to our understanding of the cultural and historical processes occurring in the steppes of Eastern Europe during the Bronze Age.
The strategic location of Pakistan and its presence at the crossroads of Asia has resulted in it ... more The strategic location of Pakistan and its presence at the crossroads of Asia has resulted in it playing a central role in both prehistoric and historic human migratory events, thereby linking and facilitating contacts between the inhabitants of the Middle East, Central Asia, China and South Asia. Despite the importance of this region and its inhabitants for our understanding of modern human origins and population dispersals, the nature of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation among members of the myriad populations of this area has largely been unexplored. Here, we report mtDNA control region sequences in 58 individuals from the Khattak and the Kheshgi, two major Pakhtun tribes residing within the Peshawar Valley of northwestern Pakistan. The results reveal that these ethnic groups are genetically heterogeneous, having 55.7% West Eurasian, 33.9% South Asian and 10.2% East Asian haplogroups. The genetic diversity observed for the Kheshgi was somewhat higher than that of the Khattak. A multidimensional scaling plot based on haplogroup frequencies for the Khattak, Kheshgi and neighboring populations indicates that the Khattak have close affinities with Baluch, Uzbek and Kazak populations but are only distantly related to the Kheshgi and other Pakistani populations. By contrast, the Kheshgi cluster closely with other Pakhtun or Pathan populations of Pakistan, suggesting a possible common maternal gene pool shared amongst them. These mtDNA data allow us to begin reconstructing the origins of the Khattak and Kheshgi and describe their complex interactions with populations from the surrounding regions.
The Avery’s Rest archaeological site near Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, represents an early phase of ... more The Avery’s Rest archaeological site near Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, represents an early phase of European colonization in North America. Previous archaeological and osteological analysis conducted by the Archaeological Society of Delaware and the Smithsonian Institution, respectively, indicated the presence of two burial clusters containing 11 excellently preserved individuals, one containing individuals of European ancestry and the other individuals of African ancestry. Ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis was subsequently undertaken to identify the phylogeographic origin of and possible kinship between individuals at the site. We successfully extracted and sequenced the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region for all 11 individuals. Our results confirmed the geographic ancestry assigned to these individuals through osteological analysis. In addition, they revealed that half of the eight European individuals shared the same mtDNA haplotype, suggesting they were maternally related, while the three African individuals appear to have originated from different areas of Africa. Together, the aDNA data and burial organization of Avery’s Rest provides insights into the organization of labor at the site, suggests that kinship was an important influence during the early colonization of the New World, and reveals new details about slave trade origins on the 17th century Chesapeake frontier.
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Papers by Theodore G Schurr