Patrones geográficos de diferenciación craneofacial entre poblaciones de la región central del país y otras de Argentina: aportes desde la genética del paisaje

In this study we analyze the patterns of spatial variation of a population sample from the pre-Hispanicinhabitants of the central territory of Argentina (Córdoba and San Luis provinces) archaeologically known as Sierras Centrales , and 13 other samples from different ecological and geographical regions from Argentina.Additionally, we searched for the existence of genetic barriers in the geographic landscape. The study is based on10 craniometric measurements. Results from principal component analysis reveal that the pre-Hispanic inhabitantsof the Central Mountains of Argentina were biologically more related to the Patagonian groups than to thenortheast, central western and northwestern populations. Monmonier`s algorithm reveals that the pre-Hispanicinhabitants of the Central Mountains of Argentina were biologically more related to the Patagonian groups thanto the central and northern populations. These results support our hypothesis that the peopling of the centralregion of Argentina most likely took place as a migratory wave proceeding from the northeast, and continuedsouthward to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.