Brief Communication: Mitochondrial DNA B2b15 Lineages Among Extant South Americans

OBJECTIVES: To report a modern mitogenome akin to the one retrieved from an ancient Patagonian and to analyze the presence of putatively related lineages among available datasets. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We surveyed an in-house database of mtDNA sequences of Native American/First Nation origin and an unpublished dataset of Chilean populations for relevant matches to any haplogroup B sequence carrying 16409C. We also queried EMPOP, a database from the forensic scientific community. A phylogenetic analysis was performed with five available B2b15 complete mtDNA sequences. RESULTS: Two relevant matches, including one complete mtDNA sequence, were found in the in-house database while three control region-only matches were found among Chileans. The new complete mtDNA sequence allowed us to define a new branch of B2b15, to which all the control region matches are inferred to belong. DISCUSSION: Increased availability and diversity of complete mtDNAs may lead to a revised definition of haplogroups and subhaplogroups. The newly defined branch B2b15b, previously known only by one ancient Patagonian haplotype, can now be interpreted as being present among extant Chileans.