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Contrasting maternal and paternal genetic histories among five ethnic groups from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1027. [PMID: 35046511 PMCID: PMC8770644 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05076-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Northwest Pakistan has served as a point of entry to South Asia for different populations since ancient times. However, relatively little is known about the population genetic history of the people residing within this region. To better understand human dispersal in the region within the broader history of the subcontinent, we analyzed mtDNA diversity in 659 and Y-chromosome diversity in 678 individuals, respectively, from five ethnic groups (Gujars, Jadoons, Syeds, Tanolis and Yousafzais), from Swabi and Buner Districts, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. The mtDNAs of all individuals were subject to control region sequencing and SNP genotyping, while Y-chromosomes were analyzed using 54 SNPs and 19 STR loci. The majority of the mtDNAs belonged to West Eurasian haplogroups, with the rest belonging to either South or East Asian lineages. Four of the five Pakistani populations (Gujars, Jadoons, Syeds, Yousafzais) possessed strong maternal genetic affinities with other Pakistani and Central Asian populations, whereas one (Tanolis) did not. Four haplogroups (R1a, R1b, O3, L) among the 11 Y-chromosome lineages observed among these five ethnic groups contributed substantially to their paternal genetic makeup. Gujars, Syeds and Yousafzais showed strong paternal genetic affinities with other Pakistani and Central Asian populations, whereas Jadoons and Tanolis had close affinities with Turkmen populations from Central Asia and ethnic groups from northeast India. We evaluate these genetic data in the context of historical and archeological evidence to test different hypotheses concerning their origins and biological relationships.
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Bisso-Machado R, Fagundes NJR. Uniparental genetic markers in Native Americans: A summary of all available data from ancient and contemporary populations. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 176:445-458. [PMID: 34184252 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to create a comprehensive summary of available mtDNA and Y-chromosome data for Native Americans from North, Central, and South America, including both modern and ancient DNA. To illustrate the usefulness of this dataset we present a broad picture of the genetic variation for both markers across the Americas. METHODS We searched PubMed, ResearchGate, Google Scholar for studies about mtDNA or Y-chromosome variation in Native American populations, including geographic, linguistic, ecological (ecoregion), archeological and chronological information. We used AMOVA to estimate the genetic structure associated with language and ecoregion grouping and Mantel tests to evaluate the correlation between genetic and geographic distances. RESULTS Genetic data were obtained from 321 primary sources, including 22,569 individuals from 298 contemporary populations, and 3628 individuals from 202 archeological populations. MtDNA lineages of probable non-Amerindian origin were rare, in contrast with Y-chromosome lineages. Mantel tests showed a statistically significant correlation for the whole continent considering mtDNA but not the Y-chromosome. Genetic structure between groups was always stronger for mtDNA than for the Y-chromosome. CONCLUSIONS This study summarizes decades of research conducted in Native American populations for both mtDNA and the Y-chromosome. Continental or sub-continental patterns of variation reveal that most of the genetic variation occurs within populations rather than among linguistic or ecoregional groups, and that isolation by distance is barely detectable in most population sets. The genetic structure among groups was always larger for mtDNA than for the Y-chromosome, suggesting between-sex differences in gene flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Bisso-Machado
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Nelson J R Fagundes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Yardumian A, Shengelia R, Chitanava D, Laliashvili S, Bitadze L, Laliashvili I, Villanea F, Sanders A, Azzam A, Groner V, Edleson K, Vilar MG, Schurr TG. Genetic diversity in Svaneti and its implications for the human settlement of the Highland Caucasus. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 164:837-852. [PMID: 29076141 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In this study, we characterized genetic diversity in the Svans from northwestern Georgia to better understand the phylogeography of their genetic lineages, determine whether genetic diversity in the highland South Caucasus has been shaped by language or geography, and assess whether Svan genetic diversity was structured by regional residence patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyzed mtDNA and Y-chromosome variation in 184 individuals from 13 village districts and townlets located throughout the region. For all individuals, we analyzed mtDNA diversity through control region sequencing, and, for males, we analyzed Y-chromosome diversity through SNP and STR genotyping. The resulting data were compared with those for populations from the Caucasus and Middle East. RESULTS We observed significant mtDNA heterogeneity in Svans, with haplogroups U1-U7, H, K, and W6 being common there. By contrast, ∼78% of Svan males belonged to haplogroup G2a, with the remainder falling into four other haplogroups (J2a1, I2, N, and R1a). While showing a distinct genetic profile, Svans also clustered with Caucasus populations speaking languages from different families, suggesting a deep common ancestry for all of them. The mtDNA data were not structured by geography or linguistic affiliation, whereas the NRY data were influenced only by geography. DISCUSSION These patterns of genetic variation confirm a complex set of geographic sources and settlement phases for the Caucasus highlands. Such patterns may also reflect social and cultural practices in the region. The high frequency and antiquity of Y-chromosome haplogroup G2a in this region further points to its emergence there.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aram Yardumian
- Department of History and Social Sciences, Bryn Athyn College, Pennsylvania 19009.,Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Ramaz Shengelia
- Department of the History of Medicine and Bioethics, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi 01747, Georgia
| | - David Chitanava
- Laboratory for Anthropologic Studies, Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology, Tbilisi 0102, Georgia
| | - Shorena Laliashvili
- Laboratory for Anthropologic Studies, Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology, Tbilisi 0102, Georgia
| | - Lia Bitadze
- Laboratory for Anthropologic Studies, Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology, Tbilisi 0102, Georgia
| | - Irma Laliashvili
- Laboratory for Anthropologic Studies, Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology, Tbilisi 0102, Georgia
| | - Fernando Villanea
- Grant Programs, Science and Exploration, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC 20036
| | - Akiva Sanders
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Andrew Azzam
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Victoria Groner
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Kristi Edleson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Miguel G Vilar
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104.,Grant Programs, Science and Exploration, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC 20036
| | - Theodore G Schurr
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
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Benn Torres J, Vilar MG, Torres GA, Gaieski JB, Bharath Hernandez R, Browne ZE, Stevenson M, Walters W, Schurr TG. Genetic Diversity in the Lesser Antilles and Its Implications for the Settlement of the Caribbean Basin. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139192. [PMID: 26447794 PMCID: PMC4598113 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Historical discourses about the Caribbean often chronicle West African and European influence to the general neglect of indigenous people's contributions to the contemporary region. Consequently, demographic histories of Caribbean people prior to and after European contact are not well understood. Although archeological evidence suggests that the Lesser Antilles were populated in a series of northward and eastern migratory waves, many questions remain regarding the relationship of the Caribbean migrants to other indigenous people of South and Central America and changes to the demography of indigenous communities post-European contact. To explore these issues, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome diversity in 12 unrelated individuals from the First Peoples Community in Arima, Trinidad, and 43 unrelated Garifuna individuals residing in St. Vincent. In this community-sanctioned research, we detected maternal indigenous ancestry in 42% of the participants, with the remainder having haplotypes indicative of African and South Asian maternal ancestry. Analysis of Y-chromosome variation revealed paternal indigenous American ancestry indicated by the presence of haplogroup Q-M3 in 28% of the male participants from both communities, with the remainder possessing either African or European haplogroups. This finding is the first report of indigenous American paternal ancestry among indigenous populations in this region of the Caribbean. Overall, this study illustrates the role of the region's first peoples in shaping the genetic diversity seen in contemporary Caribbean populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jada Benn Torres
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Miguel G. Vilar
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Missions Programs, National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Gabriel A. Torres
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Jill B. Gaieski
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | | | - Zoila E. Browne
- The Garifuna Heritage Foundation Inc., Kingston, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
| | - Marlon Stevenson
- The Garifuna Heritage Foundation Inc., Kingston, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
| | - Wendell Walters
- The Garifuna Heritage Foundation Inc., Kingston, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Sandy Bay Village, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
| | - Theodore G. Schurr
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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Vilar MG, Melendez C, Sanders AB, Walia A, Gaieski JB, Owings AC, Schurr TG. Genetic diversity in Puerto Rico and its implications for the peopling of the Island and the West Indies. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2014; 155:352-68. [PMID: 25043798 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2013] [Revised: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Puerto Rico and the surrounding islands rest on the eastern fringe of the Caribbean's Greater Antilles, located less than 100 miles northwest of the Lesser Antilles. Puerto Ricans are genetic descendants of pre-Columbian peoples, as well as peoples of European and African descent through 500 years of migration to the island. To infer these patterns of pre-Columbian and historic peopling of the Caribbean, we characterized genetic diversity in 326 individuals from the southeastern region of Puerto Rico and the island municipality of Vieques. We sequenced the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of all of the samples and the complete mitogenomes of 12 of them to infer their putative place of origin. In addition, we genotyped 121 male samples for 25 Y-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphism and 17 STR loci. Approximately 60% of the participants had indigenous mtDNA haplotypes (mostly from haplogroups A2 and C1), while 25% had African and 15% European haplotypes. Three A2 sublineages were unique to the Greater Antilles, one of which was similar to Mesoamerican types, while C1b haplogroups showed links to South America, suggesting that people reached the island from the two distinct continental source areas. However, none of the male participants had indigenous Y-chromosomes, with 85% of them instead being European/Mediterranean and 15% sub-Saharan African in origin. West Eurasian Y-chromosome short tandem repeat haplotypes were quite diverse and showed similarities to those observed in southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. These results attest to the distinct, yet equally complex, pasts for the male and female ancestors of modern day Puerto Ricans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel G Vilar
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6398
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Schurr TG, Dulik MC, Cafaro TA, Suarez MF, Urrets-Zavalia JA, Serra HM. Genetic background and climatic droplet keratopathy incidence in a Mapuche population from Argentina. PLoS One 2013; 8:e74593. [PMID: 24040292 PMCID: PMC3764023 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 08/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To determine whether the incidence of and susceptibility to climatic droplet keratopathy (CDK), an acquired, often bilateral degenerative corneal disease, is influenced by the genetic background of the individuals who exhibit the disorder. Methods To determine whether the disease expression was influenced by the genetic ancestry of CDK cases in native Mapuche of the northwest area of Patagonia in Argentina, we examined mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome variation in 53 unrelated individuals. Twenty-nine of them were part of the CDK (patient) population, while 24 were part of the control group. The analysis revealed the maternal and paternal lineages that were present in the two study groups. Results This analysis demonstrated that nearly all persons had a Native American mtDNA background, whereas 50% of the CDK group and 37% of the control group had Native American paternal ancestry, respectively. There was no significant difference in the frequencies of mtDNA haplogroups between the CDK patient and control groups. Although the Y-chromosome data revealed differences in specific haplogroup frequencies between these two groups, there was no statistically significant relationship between individual paternal genetic backgrounds and the incidence or stage of disease. Conclusions These results indicate a lack of correlation between genetic ancestry as represented by haploid genetic systems and the incidence of CDK in Mapuche populations. In addition, the mtDNA appears to play less of a role in CDK expression than for other complex diseases linked to bioenergetic processes. However, further analysis of the mtDNA genome sequence and other genes involved in corneal function may reveal the more precise role that mitochondria play in the expression of CDK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore G. Schurr
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Matthew C. Dulik
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Thamara A. Cafaro
- CIBICI (Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología), Faculty of Chemistry, National University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María F. Suarez
- CIBICI (Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología), Faculty of Chemistry, National University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | | | - Horacio M. Serra
- CIBICI (Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología), Faculty of Chemistry, National University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- * E-mail:
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Pullman D, Nicholas GP. Intellectual property and the ethical/legal status of human DNA: The (ir)relevance of context. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.7202/1012839ar] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
There has been much discussion in recent years about the ethical and legal status of human DNA. This topic is of great relevance and importance to Aboriginal communities because the question of who has the right of access to and control over the DNA of individual persons, or of DNA extracted from human remains, could have implications for an entire community. In another context an individual’s decision to contribute a blood sample for health research could reveal much about the health status of other members of the community. Who has the right to control access to DNA or a community’s narrative of its origins? While some have argued that human DNA should be considered cultural property in order to ensure appropriate control of genetic information, we question the wisdom of this approach. Although we acknowledge that the differing contexts in which DNA is extracted and utilised could require unique approaches in some circumstances, we argue that emphasis should be primarily on the nature of the relationships established and maintained between researchers and descendant communities and only secondarily on the unique status of the DNA itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daryl Pullman
- Division of Community Health and Humanities, Memorial University, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John’s, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - George P. Nicholas
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
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Y-chromosome analysis reveals genetic divergence and new founding native lineages in Athapaskan- and Eskimoan-speaking populations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:8471-6. [PMID: 22586127 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1118760109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
For decades, the peopling of the Americas has been explored through the analysis of uniparentally inherited genetic systems in Native American populations and the comparison of these genetic data with current linguistic groupings. In northern North America, two language families predominate: Eskimo-Aleut and Na-Dene. Although the genetic evidence from nuclear and mtDNA loci suggest that speakers of these language families share a distinct biological origin, this model has not been examined using data from paternally inherited Y chromosomes. To test this hypothesis and elucidate the migration histories of Eskimoan- and Athapaskan-speaking populations, we analyzed Y-chromosomal data from Inuvialuit, Gwich'in, and Tłįch populations living in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Over 100 biallelic markers and 19 chromosome short tandem repeats (STRs) were genotyped to produce a high-resolution dataset of Y chromosomes from these groups. Among these markers is an SNP discovered in the Inuvialuit that differentiates them from other Aboriginal and Native American populations. The data suggest that Canadian Eskimoan- and Athapaskan-speaking populations are genetically distinct from one another and that the formation of these groups was the result of two population expansions that occurred after the initial movement of people into the Americas. In addition, the population history of Athapaskan speakers is complex, with the Tłįch being distinct from other Athapaskan groups. The high-resolution biallelic data also make clear that Y-chromosomal diversity among the first Native Americans was greater than previously recognized.
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Schurr TG, Dulik MC, Owings AC, Zhadanov SI, Gaieski JB, Vilar MG, Ramos J, Moss MB, Natkong F. Clan, language, and migration history has shaped genetic diversity in Haida and Tlingit populations from Southeast Alaska. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 148:422-35. [PMID: 22549307 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2011] [Accepted: 03/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The linguistically distinctive Haida and Tlingit tribes of Southeast Alaska are known for their rich material culture, complex social organization, and elaborate ritual practices. However, much less is known about these tribes from a population genetic perspective. For this reason, we analyzed mtDNA and Y-chromosome variation in Haida and Tlingit populations to elucidate several key issues pertaining to the history of this region. These included the genetic relationships of Haida and Tlingit to other indigenous groups in Alaska and Canada; the relationship between linguistic and genetic data for populations assigned to the Na-Dene linguistic family, specifically, the inclusion of Haida with Athapaskan, Eyak, and Tlingit in the language family; the possible influence of matrilineal clan structure on patterns of genetic variation in Haida and Tlingit populations; and the impact of European entry into the region on the genetic diversity of these indigenous communities. Our analysis indicates that, while sharing a "northern" genetic profile, the Haida and the Tlingit are genetically distinctive from each other. In addition, Tlingit groups themselves differ across their geographic range, in part due to interactions of Tlingit tribes with Athapaskan and Eyak groups to the north. The data also reveal a strong influence of maternal clan identity on mtDNA variation in these groups, as well as the significant influence of non-native males on Y-chromosome diversity. These results yield new details about the histories of the Haida and Tlingit tribes in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore G Schurr
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 19104-6398, USA.
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Mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome variation provides evidence for a recent common ancestry between Native Americans and Indigenous Altaians. Am J Hum Genet 2012; 90:229-46. [PMID: 22281367 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2011.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2011] [Revised: 12/06/2011] [Accepted: 12/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Altai region of southern Siberia has played a critical role in the peopling of northern Asia as an entry point into Siberia and a possible homeland for ancestral Native Americans. It has an old and rich history because humans have inhabited this area since the Paleolithic. Today, the Altai region is home to numerous Turkic-speaking ethnic groups, which have been divided into northern and southern clusters based on linguistic, cultural, and anthropological traits. To untangle Altaian genetic histories, we analyzed mtDNA and Y chromosome variation in northern and southern Altaian populations. All mtDNAs were assayed by PCR-RFLP analysis and control region sequencing, and the nonrecombining portion of the Y chromosome was scored for more than 100 biallelic markers and 17 Y-STRs. Based on these data, we noted differences in the origin and population history of Altaian ethnic groups, with northern Altaians appearing more like Yeniseian, Ugric, and Samoyedic speakers to the north, and southern Altaians having greater affinities to other Turkic speaking populations of southern Siberia and Central Asia. Moreover, high-resolution analysis of Y chromosome haplogroup Q has allowed us to reshape the phylogeny of this branch, making connections between populations of the New World and Old World more apparent and demonstrating that southern Altaians and Native Americans share a recent common ancestor. These results greatly enhance our understanding of the peopling of Siberia and the Americas.
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Gaieski JB, Owings AC, Vilar MG, Dulik MC, Gaieski DF, Gittelman RM, Lindo J, Gau L, Schurr TG. Genetic ancestry and indigenous heritage in a Native American descendant community in Bermuda. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2011; 146:392-405. [PMID: 21994016 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2011] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Discovered in the early 16th century by European colonists, Bermuda is an isolated set of islands located in the mid-Atlantic. Shortly after its discovery, Bermuda became the first English colony to forcibly import its labor by trafficking in enslaved Africans, white ethnic minorities, and indigenous Americans. Oral traditions circulating today among contemporary tribes from the northeastern United States recount these same events, while, in Bermuda, St. David's Islanders consider their histories to be linked to a complex Native American, European, and African past. To investigate the influence of historical events on biological ancestry and native cultural identity, we analyzed genetic variation in 111 members of Bermuda's self-proclaimed St. David's Island Native Community. Our results reveal that the majority of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome haplotypes are of African and West Eurasian origin. However, unlike other English-speaking New World colonies, most African mtDNA haplotypes appear to derive from central and southeast Africa, reflecting the extent of maritime activities in the region. In light of genealogical and oral historical data from the St. David's community, the low frequency of Native American mtDNA and NRY lineages may reflect the influence of genetic drift, the demographic impact of European colonization, and historical admixture with persons of non-native backgrounds, which began with the settlement of the islands. By comparing the genetic data with genealogical and historical information, we are able to reconstruct the complex history of this Bermudian community, which is unique among New World populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill B Gaieski
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6398, USA
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