SignificanceAncient DNA has revolutionized the field of archaeology, but in the Caribbean and other tropical regions of the world, the work has been hampered by poor DNA preservation. We present an ancient human genome from the Caribbean and use it to shed light on the early peopling of the islands. We demonstrate that the ancestors of the so-called “Taino” who inhabited large parts of the Caribbean in pre-Columbian times originated in northern South America, and we find evidence that they had a comparatively large effective population size. We also show that the native components in some modern Caribbean genomes are closely related to the ancient Taino, suggesting that indigenous ancestry in the region has survived through the present day.

The Caribbean was one of the last regions of the Americas to be settled by humans, but how, when, and from where they reached the islands remains unclear. We generated genome-wide data for 93 ancient Caribbean islanders dating between 3200-400 cal. BP and find evidence of at least three separate dispersals into the region, including two early dispersals into the Western Caribbean, one of which seems connected to radiation events in North America. This was followed by a later expansion from South America. We also detect genetic differences between the early settlers and the newcomers from South America with almost no evidence of admixture. Our results add to our understanding of the initial peopling of the Caribbean and the movements of Archaic Age peoples in the Americas.

In March 2007, three prehistoric skeletons were excavated and analysed from Preacher's Cave on the northern aspect of the island of Eleuthera in the Bahama archipelago. The human skeletal remains represent two males and one female dating to AD 800-1300. The first is a female in the 30s with mild osteoarthritis of the joints and spine and several healed fractures who may have been an important community elder. The second is a male in the 20s with Schmorl's nodes who may have been a shaman or even a victim of interpersonal violence. The third is a male in the mid to late 20s also with marginal osteoarthritis of the joints and spine who may have been a ceremonial leader and village headman. The high incidence of carious lesions implies a cariogenic diet possibly rich in starchy foodstuffs or even fructose. The presence of grave goods and plaited mats suggest that at least two individuals may have been of high status. This study emphasises the significance of caves to Lucayan-Taíno mythology, cosmology and mortuary practice.

We have characterized the GH receptor mutation that is responsible for extreme short stature and GH insensitivity in a Bahamian genetic isolate. Heights of affected individuals ranged from -4.0 to -6.3 SD. Like others with Laron's syndrome, they had normal to high serum GH concentrations and low serum insulin-like growth factor I concentrations. Circulating levels of GH-binding protein activity were below limits of detection. Amplification of exons 2-7 and screening with single strand conformational polymorphism analysis located an abnormality in exon 7. Sequencing identified homozygosity for a C to T transition in the third position of codon 236. Reverse transcription and PCR amplification of complementary DNA from lymphocytes showed that this same sense mutation generated a new splice donor site 63 bp 5' to the normal exon 7 splice site. This novel site was used to the exclusion of the normal site in homozygotes. Both normal and variant messenger ribonucleic acid species were detected in heterozygotes. The predicted protein lacks 21 amino acids, including those defining the WS-like motif of the GH receptor extracellular domain. The high frequency of Laron's syndrome in this isolated island population probably reflects the introduction of the G236 splice mutation by a settler early in the 300-yr history of English settlement.

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