High levels of consanguinity in a child from Paquimé, Chihuahua, Mexico

A child burial at Paquimé, Chihuahua, Mexico—a multicultural center from the 13th–14th centuries AD—reveals high levels of consanguinity between parents, suggesting elite social practices. Ancient DNA analysis of Burial 23-8, placed under a central post in an important room, indicates that this child's genetic relationship with its parents was likely due to close relatives, reinforcing the role of aggrandizement among Paquimé’s ruling class. The study sheds light on the social dynamics of this pivotal archaeological site, bridging Mesoamerican and Ancestral Puebloan influences.

Sedig, J., Snow, M., Searcy, M., Punzo Diaz, J. L., LeBlanc, S., Ramos, F., Eccles, L., & Reich, D. (2024). High levels of consanguinity in a child from Paquimé, Chihuahua, Mexico. Antiquity, 98(400), 1023–1039. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2024.94