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Vilà-Valls L, Abdeli A, Lucas-Sánchez M, Bekada A, Calafell F, Benhassine T, Comas D. Understanding the genomic heterogeneity of North African Imazighen: from broad to microgeographical perspectives. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9979. [PMID: 38693301 PMCID: PMC11063056 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60568-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The strategic location of North Africa has led to cultural and demographic shifts, shaping its genetic structure. Historical migrations brought different genetic components that are evident in present-day North African genomes, along with autochthonous components. The Imazighen (plural of Amazigh) are believed to be the descendants of autochthonous North Africans and speak various Amazigh languages, which belong to the Afro-Asiatic language family. However, the arrival of different human groups, especially during the Arab conquest, caused cultural and linguistic changes in local populations, increasing their heterogeneity. We aim to characterize the genetic structure of the region, using the largest Amazigh dataset to date and other reference samples. Our findings indicate microgeographical genetic heterogeneity among Amazigh populations, modeled by various admixture waves and different effective population sizes. A first admixture wave is detected group-wide around the twelfth century, whereas a second wave appears in some Amazigh groups around the nineteenth century. These events involved populations with higher genetic ancestry from south of the Sahara compared to the current North Africans. A plausible explanation would be the historical trans-Saharan slave trade, which lasted from the Roman times to the nineteenth century. Furthermore, our investigation shows that assortative mating in North Africa has been rare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Vilà-Valls
- Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la Vida, Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Amine Abdeli
- Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Faculté Des Sciences Biologiques, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Alger, Algeria
| | - Marcel Lucas-Sánchez
- Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la Vida, Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Asmahan Bekada
- Département de Biotechnologie, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université Oran 1 (Ahmad Ben Bella), Oran, Algeria
| | - Francesc Calafell
- Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la Vida, Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Traki Benhassine
- Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Faculté Des Sciences Biologiques, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Alger, Algeria
| | - David Comas
- Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la Vida, Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
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2
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Moubtahij Z, McCormack J, Bourgon N, Trost M, Sinet-Mathiot V, Fuller BT, Smith GM, Temming H, Steinbrenner S, Hublin JJ, Bouzouggar A, Turner E, Jaouen K. Isotopic evidence of high reliance on plant food among Later Stone Age hunter-gatherers at Taforalt, Morocco. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:1035-1045. [PMID: 38684738 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02382-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture stands as one of the most important dietary revolutions in human history. Yet, due to a scarcity of well-preserved human remains from Pleistocene sites, little is known about the dietary practices of pre-agricultural human groups. Here we present the isotopic evidence of pronounced plant reliance among Late Stone Age hunter-gatherers from North Africa (15,000-13,000 cal BP), predating the advent of agriculture by several millennia. Employing a comprehensive multi-isotopic approach, we conducted zinc (δ66Zn) and strontium (87Sr/86Sr) analysis on dental enamel, bulk carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope analysis on dentin and bone collagen, and single amino acid analysis on human and faunal remains from Taforalt (Morocco). Our results unequivocally demonstrate a substantial plant-based component in the diets of these hunter-gatherers. This distinct dietary pattern challenges the prevailing notion of high reliance on animal proteins among pre-agricultural human groups. It also raises intriguing questions surrounding the absence of agricultural development in North Africa during the early Holocene. This study underscores the importance of investigating dietary practices during the transition to agriculture and provides insights into the complexities of human subsistence strategies across different regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zineb Moubtahij
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, UMR 5563, CNRS, Observatoire Midi Pyrénées, Toulouse, France.
| | - Jeremy McCormack
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Geosciences, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Nicolas Bourgon
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- IsoTROPIC Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - Manuel Trost
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Virginie Sinet-Mathiot
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- PACEA, UMR 5199, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, Ministère de la Culture, Pessac, France
- CBMN, UMR 5248 and Bordeaux Proteome Platform, Bordeaux INP, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Benjamin T Fuller
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, UMR 5563, CNRS, Observatoire Midi Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - Geoff M Smith
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Heiko Temming
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sven Steinbrenner
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Chaire de Paléoanthropologie, CIRB (UMR 7241-U1050), Collège de France, Paris, France
| | - Abdeljalil Bouzouggar
- Institut National des Sciences de l'Archéologie et du Patrimoine, Origin and Evolution of Homo Sapiens Cultures, Rabat, Morocco
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elaine Turner
- Monrepos Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for Human Behavioural Evolution, LEIZA, Neuwied, Germany
| | - Klervia Jaouen
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, UMR 5563, CNRS, Observatoire Midi Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
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3
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Padilla-Iglesias C, Derkx I. Hunter-gatherer genetics research: Importance and avenues. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2024; 6:e15. [PMID: 38516374 PMCID: PMC10955370 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2024.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Major developments in the field of genetics in the past few decades have revolutionised notions of what it means to be human. Although currently only a few populations around the world practise a hunting and gathering lifestyle, this mode of subsistence has characterised members of our species since its very origins and allowed us to migrate across the planet. Therefore, the geographical distribution of hunter-gatherer populations, dependence on local ecosystems and connections to past populations and neighbouring groups have provided unique insights into our evolutionary origins. However, given the vulnerable status of hunter-gatherers worldwide, the development of the field of anthropological genetics requires that we reevaluate how we conduct research with these communities. Here, we review how the inclusion of hunter-gatherer populations in genetics studies has advanced our understanding of human origins, ancient population migrations and interactions as well as phenotypic adaptations and adaptability to different environments, and the important scientific and medical applications of these advancements. At the same time, we highlight the necessity to address yet unresolved questions and identify areas in which the field may benefit from improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Inez Derkx
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Lucas-Sánchez M, Abdeli A, Bekada A, Calafell F, Benhassine T, Comas D. The Impact of Recent Demography on Functional Genetic Variation in North African Human Groups. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msad283. [PMID: 38152862 PMCID: PMC10783648 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The strategic location of North Africa has made the region the core of a wide range of human demographic events, including migrations, bottlenecks, and admixture processes. This has led to a complex and heterogeneous genetic and cultural landscape, which remains poorly studied compared to other world regions. Whole-exome sequencing is particularly relevant to determine the effects of these demographic events on current-day North Africans' genomes, since it allows to focus on those parts of the genome that are more likely to have direct biomedical consequences. Whole-exome sequencing can also be used to assess the effect of recent demography in functional genetic variation and the efficacy of natural selection, a long-lasting debate. In the present work, we use newly generated whole-exome sequencing and genome-wide array genotypes to investigate the effect of demography in functional variation in 7 North African populations, considering both cultural and demographic differences and with a special focus on Amazigh (plur. Imazighen) groups. We detect genetic differences among populations related to their degree of isolation and the presence of bottlenecks in their recent history. We find differences in the functional part of the genome that suggest a relaxation of purifying selection in the more isolated groups, allowing for an increase of putatively damaging variation. Our results also show a shift in mutational load coinciding with major demographic events in the region and reveal differences within and between cultural and geographic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Lucas-Sánchez
- Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la Vida, Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Amine Abdeli
- Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Alger, Algeria
| | - Asmahan Bekada
- Département de Biotechnologie, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université Oran 1 (Ahmad Ben Bella), Oran, Algeria
| | - Francesc Calafell
- Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la Vida, Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Traki Benhassine
- Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, Alger, Algeria
| | - David Comas
- Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la Vida, Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
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Taliadoros D, Feurtey A, Wyatt N, Barrès B, Gladieux P, Friesen TL, Stukenbrock EH. Emergence and spread of the barley net blotch pathogen coincided with crop domestication and cultivation history. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1010884. [PMID: 38285729 PMCID: PMC10852282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Fungal pathogens cause devastating disease in crops. Understanding the evolutionary origin of pathogens is essential to the prediction of future disease emergence and the potential of pathogens to disperse. The fungus Pyrenophora teres f. teres causes net form net blotch (NFNB), an economically significant disease of barley. In this study, we have used 104 P. teres f. teres genomes from four continents to explore the population structure and demographic history of the fungal pathogen. We showed that P. teres f. teres is structured into populations that tend to be geographically restricted to different regions. Using Multiple Sequentially Markovian Coalescent and machine learning approaches we demonstrated that the demographic history of the pathogen correlates with the history of barley, highlighting the importance of human migration and trade in spreading the pathogen. Exploring signatures of natural selection, we identified several population-specific selective sweeps that colocalized with genomic regions enriched in putative virulence genes, and loci previously identified as determinants of virulence specificities by quantitative trait locus analyses. This reflects rapid adaptation to local hosts and environmental conditions of P. teres f. teres as it spread with barley. Our research highlights how human activities can contribute to the spread of pathogens that significantly impact the productivity of field crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demetris Taliadoros
- Environmental Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
- Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Alice Feurtey
- Environmental Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Plant Pathology, D-USYS, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nathan Wyatt
- Cereal Crops Research Unit, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
- Sugar Beet and Potato Research Unit, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Benoit Barrès
- Université de Lyon, Anses, INRAE, USC CASPER, Lyon, France
| | - Pierre Gladieux
- PHIM Plant Health Institute, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Timothy L. Friesen
- Cereal Crops Research Unit, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
| | - Eva H. Stukenbrock
- Environmental Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
- Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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D'Atanasio E, Risi F, Ravasini F, Montinaro F, Hajiesmaeil M, Bonucci B, Pistacchia L, Amoako-Sakyi D, Bonito M, Onidi S, Colombo G, Semino O, Destro Bisol G, Anagnostou P, Metspalu M, Tambets K, Trombetta B, Cruciani F. The genomic echoes of the last Green Sahara on the Fulani and Sahelian people. Curr Biol 2023; 33:5495-5504.e4. [PMID: 37995693 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.10.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
The population history of the Sahara/Sahelian belt is understudied, despite previous work highlighting complex dynamics.1,2,3,4,5,6,7 The Sahelian Fulani, i.e., the largest nomadic pastoral population in the world,8 represent an interesting case because they show a non-negligible proportion of an Eurasian genetic component, usually explained by recent admixture with northern Africans.1,2,5,6,7,9,10,11,12 Nevertheless, their origins are largely unknown, although several hypotheses have been proposed, including a possible link to ancient peoples settled in the Sahara during its last humid phase (Green Sahara, 12,000-5,000 years before present [BP]).13,14,15 To shed light about the Fulani ancient genetic roots, we produced 23 high-coverage (30×) whole genomes from Fulani individuals from 8 Sahelian countries, plus 17 samples from other African groups and 3 from Europeans as controls, for a total of 43 new whole genomes. These data have been compared with 814 published modern whole genomes2,16,17,18 and with relevant published ancient sequences (> 1,800 samples).19 These analyses showed some evidence that the non-sub-Saharan genetic ancestry component of the Fulani might have also been shaped by older events,1,5,6 possibly tracing the Fulani origins to unsampled ancient Green Saharan population(s). The joint analysis of modern and ancient samples allowed us to shed light on the genetic ancestry composition of such ancient Saharans, suggesting a similarity with Late Neolithic Moroccans and possibly pointing to a link with the spread of cattle herding. We also identified two different Fulani clusters whose admixture pattern may be informative about the historical Fulani movements and their later involvement in the western African empires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia D'Atanasio
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Flavia Risi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Ravasini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Montinaro
- Department of Biology, University of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy; Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, 51010 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mogge Hajiesmaeil
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Letizia Pistacchia
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Italy; Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniel Amoako-Sakyi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Maria Bonito
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Onidi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Colombo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Ornella Semino
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Destro Bisol
- Department of Enviromental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Istituto Italiano di Antropologia, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Anagnostou
- Department of Enviromental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Mait Metspalu
- Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, 51010 Tartu, Estonia
| | | | - Beniamino Trombetta
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Fulvio Cruciani
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Italy; Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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Humphrey L, Bouzouggar A. Ancient DNA reveals how farming spread into northwest Africa. Nature 2023:10.1038/d41586-023-01768-6. [PMID: 37286670 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-01768-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
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