A paleogenetic perspective on the early population history of the high altitude Andes

The peopling of the high altitude Andes marks an important episode in South American population history, eventually leading to the formation of the most complex societies of the late pre-Columbian period, namely Wari, Tiwanaku, and Inca. Little is known about how population dynamic processes and genetic adaptation to physical stressors like hypoxia shaped the genetic diversity of the Andean highlanders over the ∼12,000 years of human presence in high altitude. Here we review the genetic population history of the Central Andes and how ancient DNA research helps provide a more nuanced understanding of the early peopling of the high altitude Andes. We further discuss the potential of paleogenetic analyses to address questions of Andean archaeology and human adaptability to stress factors acting at high altitude. The reviewed genetic data support broader genetic continuity in the Central Andes for at least 8000 years, with intra-Andean population dynamics processes subsequently shaping the regional genetic structure, and connects the populations of the Pacific Littoral with the early populations of the high altitude Andes.