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Mitochondrial DNA Profiles of Individuals from a 12th Century Necropolis in Feldioara (Transylvania). Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12030436. [PMID: 33808521 PMCID: PMC8003334 DOI: 10.3390/genes12030436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic signature of modern Europeans is the cumulated result of millennia of discrete small-scale exchanges between multiple distinct population groups that performed a repeated cycle of movement, settlement, and interactions with each other. In this study we aimed to highlight one such minute genetic cycle in a sea of genetic interactions by reconstructing part of the genetic story of the migration, settlement, interaction, and legacy of what is today the Transylvanian Saxon. The analysis of the mitochondrial DNA control region of 13 medieval individuals from Feldioara necropolis (Transylvania region, Romania) reveals a genetically heterogeneous group where all identified haplotypes are different. Most of the perceived maternal lineages are of Western Eurasian origin, except for the Central Asiatic haplogroup C seen in only one sample. Comparisons with historical and modern populations describe the contribution of the investigated Saxon settlers to the genetic history of this part of Europe.
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Modi A, Lancioni H, Cardinali I, Capodiferro MR, Rambaldi Migliore N, Hussein A, Strobl C, Bodner M, Schnaller L, Xavier C, Rizzi E, Bonomi Ponzi L, Vai S, Raveane A, Cavadas B, Semino O, Torroni A, Olivieri A, Lari M, Pereira L, Parson W, Caramelli D, Achilli A. The mitogenome portrait of Umbria in Central Italy as depicted by contemporary inhabitants and pre-Roman remains. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10700. [PMID: 32612271 PMCID: PMC7329865 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67445-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Umbria is located in Central Italy and took the name from its ancient inhabitants, the Umbri, whose origins are still debated. Here, we investigated the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation of 545 present-day Umbrians (with 198 entire mitogenomes) and 28 pre-Roman individuals (obtaining 19 ancient mtDNAs) excavated from the necropolis of Plestia. We found a rather homogeneous distribution of western Eurasian lineages across the region, with few notable exceptions. Contemporary inhabitants of the eastern part, delimited by the Tiber River and the Apennine Mountains, manifest a peculiar mitochondrial proximity to central-eastern Europeans, mainly due to haplogroups U4 and U5a, and an overrepresentation of J (30%) similar to the pre-Roman remains, also excavated in East Umbria. Local genetic continuities are further attested to by six terminal branches (H1e1, J1c3, J2b1, U2e2a, U8b1b1 and K1a4a) shared between ancient and modern mitogenomes. Eventually, we identified multiple inputs from various population sources that likely shaped the mitochondrial gene pool of ancient Umbri over time, since early Neolithic, including gene flows with central-eastern Europe. This diachronic mtDNA portrait of Umbria fits well with the genome-wide population structure identified on the entire peninsula and with historical sources that list the Umbri among the most ancient Italic populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Modi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50122, Florence, Italy
| | - Hovirag Lancioni
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06123, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Irene Cardinali
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Marco R Capodiferro
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Nicola Rambaldi Migliore
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Abir Hussein
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Christina Strobl
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Martin Bodner
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lisa Schnaller
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Catarina Xavier
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ermanno Rizzi
- Istituto di Tecnologie Biomediche, CNR, Segrate, 20090, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Stefania Vai
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50122, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandro Raveane
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Bruno Cavadas
- IPATIMUP (Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto), Porto, Portugal.,i3S (Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto), 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ornella Semino
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Antonio Torroni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Anna Olivieri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Martina Lari
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50122, Florence, Italy
| | - Luisa Pereira
- IPATIMUP (Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto), Porto, Portugal.,i3S (Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto), 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Walther Parson
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.,Forensic Science Program, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16801, USA
| | - David Caramelli
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50122, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandro Achilli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
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Poma A, Cesare P, Bonfigli A, Vecchiotti G, Colafarina S, Savini F, Redi F, Zarivi O. Analysis of ancient mtDNA from the medieval archeological site of Amiternum (L'Aquila), central Italy. Heliyon 2019; 5:e02586. [PMID: 31646208 PMCID: PMC6804371 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Study of ancient DNA makes it possible to analyze genetic relationships between individuals and populations of past and present. In this paper we have analyzed remains of human bones, dating back to the 8th-10th century AD, from the burials found in the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Civitate, archaeological site of Amiternum, L'Aquila, Italy. As a genetic marker, the hypervariable region 1 of mitochondrial DNA (HVR1) was selected. To obtain reliable sequences from the hypervariable region 1 of mtDNA (HVR1) were performed: multiple extractions, template quantification and cloning of PCR products. The sequences obtained were compared with Anderson's sequence for the identification of polymorphisms (SNP) and haplogroups. The data obtained were analyzed with various software and phylogenetic methods. For the comparison between populations, ancient and modern sequences found in databases and literature have been used. This work provides preliminary information on the correlation between the population of Amiternum, the migrant populations transited and/or established in the territory of Amiternum such as Byzantines, Longobards (Lombards), which dominated the Italian peninsula between 568 and 774 AD, and the current populations of Italy. The study of haplogroups, the analysis of genetic variability and phylogenesis studies on the sequences considered show a genetic closeness between the individuals of Amiternum, the current population of central-northern Italy and the Germanic tribe of Longobards, however, also highlights genetic traits of Byzantines in some samples of Amiternum. Using the analysis of amelogenin gene fragments, we successfully determined the sex of the bone remains on all samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Poma
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
- Corresponding author.
| | - Patrizia Cesare
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Antonella Bonfigli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Giulia Vecchiotti
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Sabrina Colafarina
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Francesca Savini
- Department of Human Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Fabio Redi
- Department of Human Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Osvaldo Zarivi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
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Leonardi M, Sandionigi A, Conzato A, Vai S, Lari M, Tassi F, Ghirotto S, Caramelli D, Barbujani G. The female ancestor's tale: Long-term matrilineal continuity in a nonisolated region of Tuscany. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 167:497-506. [PMID: 30187463 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES With the advent of ancient DNA analyses, it has been possible to disentangle the contribution of ancient populations to the genetic pool of the modern inhabitants of many regions. Reconstructing the maternal ancestry has often highlighted genetic continuity over several millennia, but almost always in isolated areas. Here we analyze North-western Tuscany, a region that was a corridor of exchanges between Central Italy and the Western Mediterranean coast. MATERIALS AND METHODS We newly obtained mitochondrial HVRI sequences from 28 individuals, and after gathering published data, we collected genetic information for 119 individuals from the region. Those span five periods during the last 5,000 years: Prehistory, Etruscan age, Roman age, Renaissance, and Present-day. We used serial coalescent simulations in an approximate Bayesian computation framework to test for continuity between the mentioned groups. RESULTS Our analyses always favor continuity over discontinuity for all groups considered, with the Etruscans being part of the genealogy. Moreover, the posterior distributions of the parameters support very small female effective population sizes. CONCLUSIONS The observed signals of long-term genetic continuity and isolation are in contrast with the history of the region, conquered several times (Etruscans, Romans, Lombards, and French). While the Etruscans appear as a local population, intermediate between the prehistoric and the other samples, we suggest that the other conquerors-arriving from far-had a consistent social or sex bias, hence only marginally affecting the maternal lineages. At the same time, our results show that long-term genealogical continuity is not necessarily linked to geographical isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Leonardi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biotecnologie, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Anna Sandionigi
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Florence, Italy
| | - Annalisa Conzato
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Florence, Italy
| | - Stefania Vai
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Florence, Italy
| | - Martina Lari
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Florence, Italy
| | - Francesca Tassi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biotecnologie, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghirotto
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biotecnologie, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - David Caramelli
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Florence, Italy
| | - Guido Barbujani
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biotecnologie, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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Serventi P, Panicucci C, Bodega R, De Fanti S, Sarno S, Fondevila Alvarez M, Brisighelli F, Trombetta B, Anagnostou P, Ferri G, Vazzana A, Delpino C, Gruppioni G, Luiselli D, Cilli E. Iron Age Italic population genetics: the Piceni from Novilara (8th-7th century BC). Ann Hum Biol 2018; 45:34-43. [PMID: 29216758 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2017.1414876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Archaeological data provide evidence that Italy, during the Iron Age, witnessed the appearance of the first communities with well defined cultural identities. To date, only a few studies report genetic data about these populations and, in particular, the Piceni have never been analysed. AIMS To provide new data about mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variability of an Iron Age Italic population, to understand the contribution of the Piceni in shaping the modern Italian gene pool and to ascertain the kinship between some individuals buried in the same grave within the Novilara necropolis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS In a first set of 10 individuals from Novilara, we performed deep sequencing of the HVS-I region of the mtDNA, combined with the genotyping of 22 SNPs in the coding region and the analysis of several autosomal markers. RESULTS The results show a low nucleotide diversity for the inhabitants of Novilara and highlight a genetic affinity of this ancient population with the current inhabitants of central Italy. No family relationship was observed between the individuals analysed here. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a preliminary characterisation of the mtDNA variability of the Piceni of Novilara, as well as a kinship assessment of two peculiar burials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Serventi
- a Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences , University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy.,b Department of Cultural Heritage , University of Bologna , Ravenna , Italy
| | - Chiara Panicucci
- b Department of Cultural Heritage , University of Bologna , Ravenna , Italy
| | - Roberta Bodega
- a Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences , University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy
| | - Sara De Fanti
- a Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences , University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy
| | - Stefania Sarno
- a Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences , University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy
| | - Manuel Fondevila Alvarez
- c Instituto de Ciencias Forenses 'Luis Concheiro' , University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela , Galicia , Spain
| | - Francesca Brisighelli
- d Sezione di Medicina Legale-Istituto di Sanità Pubblica , Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore , Roma , Italy
| | - Beniamino Trombetta
- e Department of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin' , Sapienza University , Rome , Italy
| | - Paolo Anagnostou
- f Department of Environmental Biology , University of Rome 'La Sapienza' , Rome , Italy.,g ISItA, Istituto Italiano di Antropologia , Rome , Italy
| | - Gianmarco Ferri
- h Department of Diagnostic and Clinical Medicine and Public Health , University of Modena and Reggio Emilia , Modena , Italy
| | - Antonino Vazzana
- b Department of Cultural Heritage , University of Bologna , Ravenna , Italy
| | - Chiara Delpino
- i Superintendence of Archaeological Heritage of Marche Region , Ancona , Italy
| | - Giorgio Gruppioni
- b Department of Cultural Heritage , University of Bologna , Ravenna , Italy
| | - Donata Luiselli
- a Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences , University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy
| | - Elisabetta Cilli
- b Department of Cultural Heritage , University of Bologna , Ravenna , Italy
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Šebest L, Baldovič M, Frtús A, Bognár C, Kyselicová K, Kádasi Ľ, Beňuš R. Detection of mitochondrial haplogroups in a small avar-slavic population from the eigth-ninth century AD. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 165:536-553. [PMID: 29345305 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 12/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In the sixth century AD, Avars came to Central Europe from middle Eurasian steppes and founded a strong Empire called the Avar Khagante (568-799/803 AD) in the Pannonian basin. During the existence of this empire, they undertook many military and pugnacious campaigns. In the seventh century, they conquered the northern territory inhabited by Slavs, who were further recruited in Avar military and were commissioned with obtaining food supplies. During almost 200 years of Avar domination, a significant influence by the Avar culture (especially on the burial rite) and assimilation with indigenous population (occurrence of "East Asian"cranial features) could be noticed in this mixed area, which is supported by achaeological and anthropologcal research. Therefore we expected higher incidence of east Eurasian haplogroups (introduced by Avars) than the frequencies detected in present-day central European populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS Mitochondrial DNA from 62 human skeletal remains excavated from the Avar-Slavic burial site Cífer-Pác (Slovakia) dated to the eighth and ninth century was analyzed by the sequencing of hypervariable region I and selected parts of coding region. Obtained haplotypes were compared with other present-day and historical populations and genetic distances were calculated using standard statistical method. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In total, the detection of mitochondrial haplogroups was possible in 46 individuals. Our results prooved a higher frequency of east Eurasian haplogroups in our analyzed population (6.52%) than in present-day central European populations. However, it is almost three times lower than the frequency of east Eurasian haplogroups detected in other medieval Avar populations. The statistical analysis showed a greater similarity and the lowest genetic distances between the Avar-Slavic burial site Cifer-Pac and medieval European populations than the South Siberian, East and Central Asian populations. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that the transfer of Avar genetic variation through their mtDNA was rather weak in the analyzed mixed population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukáš Šebest
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynska Dolina, Ilkovicova 6, Bratislava 842 15, Slovak Republic
| | - Marian Baldovič
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynska Dolina, Ilkovicova 6, Bratislava 842 15, Slovak Republic
| | - Adam Frtús
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynska Dolina, Ilkovicova 6, Bratislava 842 15, Slovak Republic
| | - Csaba Bognár
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynska Dolina, Ilkovicova 6, Bratislava 842 15, Slovak Republic
| | - Klaudia Kyselicová
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Physiology, Comenius University, Sasinkova 2, Bratislava 813 72, Slovak Republic.,Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynska Dolina, Ilkovicova 6, Bratislava 842 15, Slovak Republic
| | - Ľudevít Kádasi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynska Dolina, Ilkovicova 6, Bratislava 842 15, Slovak Republic.,Biomedical Research Center Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, Bratislava 845 05, Slovak Republic
| | - Radoslav Beňuš
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynska Dolina, Ilkovicova 6, Bratislava 842 15, Slovak Republic
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Csákyová V, Szécsényi-Nagy A, Csősz A, Nagy M, Fusek G, Langó P, Bauer M, Mende BG, Makovický P, Bauerová M. Maternal Genetic Composition of a Medieval Population from a Hungarian-Slavic Contact Zone in Central Europe. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151206. [PMID: 26963389 PMCID: PMC4786151 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The genetic composition of the medieval populations of Central Europe has been poorly investigated to date. In particular, the region of modern-day Slovakia is a blank spot in archaeogenetic research. This paper reports the study of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in ancient samples from the 9th–12th centuries originating from the cemeteries discovered in Nitra-Šindolka and Čakajovce, located in western Slovakia (Central Europe). This geographical region is interesting to study because its medieval multi-ethnic population lived in the so-called contact zone of the territory of the Great Moravian and later Hungarian state formations. We described 16 different mtDNA haplotypes in 19 individuals, which belong to the most widespread European mtDNA haplogroups: H, J, T, U and R0. Using comparative statistical and population genetic analyses, we showed the differentiation of the European gene pool in the medieval period. We also demonstrated the heterogeneous genetic characteristics of the investigated population and its affinity to the populations of modern Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Csákyová
- Department of Botany and Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia
- * E-mail:
| | - Anna Szécsényi-Nagy
- Laboratory of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Aranka Csősz
- Laboratory of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Melinda Nagy
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, J. Selye University in Komárno, Komárno, Slovakia
| | - Gabriel Fusek
- Institute of Archaeology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Péter Langó
- Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Miroslav Bauer
- Department of Botany and Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia
- Research Institute for Animal Production, NAFC, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Balázs Gusztáv Mende
- Laboratory of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Pavol Makovický
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, J. Selye University in Komárno, Komárno, Slovakia
| | - Mária Bauerová
- Department of Botany and Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia
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8
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Druzhkova AS, Vorobieva NV, Trifonov VA, Graphodatsky AS. Ancient DNA: Results and prospects (The 30th anniversary). RUSS J GENET+ 2015. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795415060046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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9
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Mitogenomes from The 1000 Genome Project reveal new Near Eastern features in present-day Tuscans. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0119242. [PMID: 25786119 PMCID: PMC4365045 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic analyses have recently been carried out on present-day Tuscans (Central Italy) in order to investigate their presumable recent Near East ancestry in connection with the long-standing debate on the origins of the Etruscan civilization. We retrieved mitogenomes and genome-wide SNP data from 110 Tuscans analyzed within the context of The 1000 Genome Project. For phylogeographic and evolutionary analysis we made use of a large worldwide database of entire mitogenomes (>26,000) and partial control region sequences (>180,000). RESULTS Different analyses reveal the presence of typical Near East haplotypes in Tuscans representing isolated members of various mtDNA phylogenetic branches. As a whole, the Near East component in Tuscan mitogenomes can be estimated at about 8%; a proportion that is comparable to previous estimates but significantly lower than admixture estimates obtained from autosomal SNP data (21%). Phylogeographic and evolutionary inter-population comparisons indicate that the main signal of Near Eastern Tuscan mitogenomes comes from Iran. CONCLUSIONS Mitogenomes of recent Near East origin in present-day Tuscans do not show local or regional variation. This points to a demographic scenario that is compatible with a recent arrival of Near Easterners to this region in Italy with no founder events or bottlenecks.
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10
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Vai S, Ghirotto S, Pilli E, Tassi F, Lari M, Rizzi E, Matas-Lalueza L, Ramirez O, Lalueza-Fox C, Achilli A, Olivieri A, Torroni A, Lancioni H, Giostra C, Bedini E, Baricco LP, Matullo G, Di Gaetano C, Piazza A, Veeramah K, Geary P, Caramelli D, Barbujani G. Genealogical relationships between early medieval and modern inhabitants of Piedmont. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0116801. [PMID: 25635682 PMCID: PMC4312042 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the period between 400 to 800 AD, also known as the period of the Barbarian invasions, intense migration is documented in the historical record of Europe. However, little is known about the demographic impact of these historical movements, potentially ranging from negligible to substantial. As a pilot study in a broader project on Medieval Europe, we sampled 102 specimens from 5 burial sites in Northwestern Italy, archaeologically classified as belonging to Lombards or Longobards, a Germanic people ruling over a vast section of the Italian peninsula from 568 to 774. We successfully amplified and typed the mitochondrial hypervariable region I (HVR-I) of 28 individuals. Comparisons of genetic diversity with other ancient populations and haplotype networks did not suggest that these samples are heterogeneous, and hence allowed us to jointly compare them with three isolated contemporary populations, and with a modern sample of a large city, representing a control for the effects of recent immigration. We then generated by serial coalescent simulations 16 millions of genealogies, contrasting a model of genealogical continuity with one in which the contemporary samples are genealogically independent from the medieval sample. Analyses by Approximate Bayesian Computation showed that the latter model fits the data in most cases, with one exception, Trino Vercellese, in which the evidence was compatible with persistence up to the present time of genetic features observed among this early medieval population. We conclude that it is possible, in general, to detect evidence of genealogical ties between medieval and specific modern populations. However, only seldom did mitochondrial DNA data allow us to reject with confidence either model tested, which indicates that broader analyses, based on larger assemblages of samples and genetic markers, are needed to understand in detail the effects of medieval migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Vai
- Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica, Università di Firenze, 50122 Florence, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghirotto
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biotecnologie, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Elena Pilli
- Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica, Università di Firenze, 50122 Florence, Italy
| | - Francesca Tassi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biotecnologie, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Martina Lari
- Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica, Università di Firenze, 50122 Florence, Italy
| | - Ermanno Rizzi
- Institute for Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, 20090 Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Oscar Ramirez
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, CSIC-UPF, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | | | - Alessandro Achilli
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università di Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Anna Olivieri
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “L. Spallanzani”, Università di Pavia, 27100,Pavia,Italy
| | - Antonio Torroni
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “L. Spallanzani”, Università di Pavia, 27100,Pavia,Italy
| | - Hovirag Lancioni
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università di Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Caterina Giostra
- Dipartimento di Storia, Archeologia e Storia dell’arte, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milano, Italy
| | - Elena Bedini
- Anthropozoologica L.B.A. s.n.c., 57123 Livorno, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Krishna Veeramah
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York 11794–5245, United States of America
| | - Patrick Geary
- School of Historical Studies, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, United States of America
| | - David Caramelli
- Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica, Università di Firenze, 50122 Florence, Italy
| | - Guido Barbujani
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biotecnologie, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- * E-mail:
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11
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A genome-wide study of modern-day Tuscans: revisiting Herodotus's theory on the origin of the Etruscans. PLoS One 2014; 9:e105920. [PMID: 25230205 PMCID: PMC4167696 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The origin of the Etruscan civilization (Etruria, Central Italy) is a long-standing subject of debate among scholars from different disciplines. The bulk of the information has been reconstructed from ancient texts and archaeological findings and, in the last few years, through the analysis of uniparental genetic markers. Methods By meta-analyzing genome-wide data from The 1000 Genomes Project and the literature, we were able to compare the genomic patterns (>540,000 SNPs) of present day Tuscans (N = 98) with other population groups from the main hypothetical source populations, namely, Europe and the Middle East. Results Admixture analysis indicates the presence of 25–34% of Middle Eastern component in modern Tuscans. Different analyses have been carried out using identity-by-state (IBS) values and genetic distances point to Eastern Anatolia/Southern Caucasus as the most likely geographic origin of the main Middle Eastern genetic component observed in the genome of modern Tuscans. Conclusions The data indicate that the admixture event between local Tuscans and Middle Easterners could have occurred in Central Italy about 2,600–3,100 years ago (y.a.). On the whole, the results validate the theory of the ancient historian Herodotus on the origin of Etruscans.
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Morozova IY, Batieva EF, Grosheva AN, Kovalevskaya VB, Rychkov SY. Some features of mitochondrial gene pool of Maeotis in light of their relation to Cis-Asov nomads. RUSS J GENET+ 2013. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795413090068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Tassi F, Ghirotto S, Caramelli D, Barbujani G. Genetic evidence does not support an Etruscan origin in Anatolia. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 152:11-8. [PMID: 23900768 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2013] [Accepted: 05/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The debate on the origins of Etruscans, documented in central Italy between the eighth century BC and the first century AD, dates back to antiquity. Herodotus described them as a group of immigrants from Lydia, in Western Anatolia, whereas for Dionysius of Halicarnassus they were an indigenous population. Dionysius' view is shared by most modern archeologists, but the observation of similarities between the (modern) mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) of Turks and Tuscans was interpreted as supporting an Anatolian origin of the Etruscans. However, ancient DNA evidence shows that only some isolates, and not the bulk of the modern Tuscan population, are genetically related to the Etruscans. In this study, we tested alternative models of Etruscan origins by Approximate Bayesian Computation methods, comparing levels of genetic diversity in the mtDNAs of modern and ancient populations with those obtained by millions of computer simulations. The results show that the observed genetic similarities between modern Tuscans and Anatolians cannot be attributed to an immigration wave from the East leading to the onset of the Etruscan culture in Italy. Genetic links between Tuscany and Anatolia do exist, but date back to a remote stage of prehistory, possibly but not necessarily to the spread of farmers during the Neolithic period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Tassi
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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14
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Boattini A, Lisa A, Fiorani O, Zei G, Pettener D, Manni F. General method to unravel ancient population structures through surnames, final validation on Italian data. Hum Biol 2013; 84:235-70. [PMID: 23020096 DOI: 10.3378/027.084.0302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
We analyze the geographic location of 77,451 different Italian surnames (17,579,891 individuals) obtained from the lists of telephone subscribers of the year 1993. By using a specific neural network analysis (Self-Organizing Maps, SOMs), we automatically identify the geographic origin of 49,117 different surnames. To validate the methodology, we compare the results to a study, previously conducted, on the same database, with accurate supervised methods. By comparing the results, we find an overlap of 97%, meaning that the SOMs methodology is highly reliable and well traces back the geographic origin of surnames at the time of their introduction (Late Middle Ages/Renaissance in Italy). SOMs results enables one to distinguish monophyletic surnames from polyphyletic ones, that is surnames having had a single geographic and historic origin from those that started to be in use, with an identical spelling, in different locations (respectively, 76.06% and 21.05% of the total). As we are interested in geographic origins, polyphyletic surnames are excluded from further analyses. By comparing the present location of each monophyletic surname to its inferred geographic origin in late Middle Ages/Renaissance, we measure the extent of the migrations having occurred in Italy since that time. We find that the percentage of individuals presently living in the very area where their surname started to be in use centuries ago is extremely variable (ranging from 22.77% to 77.86% according to the province), thus meaning that self-assessed regional identities seldom correspond to the "autochthony" they imply. For example the upper part of the Thyrennian coast (Northern Latium, Tuscany) has a strong identity but few "autochthonous" inhabitants (∼28%) having been a passageway from the North to the South of Italy.
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15
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Ghirotto S, Tassi F, Fumagalli E, Colonna V, Sandionigi A, Lari M, Vai S, Petiti E, Corti G, Rizzi E, De Bellis G, Caramelli D, Barbujani G. Origins and evolution of the Etruscans' mtDNA. PLoS One 2013; 8:e55519. [PMID: 23405165 PMCID: PMC3566088 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 12/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The Etruscan culture is documented in Etruria, Central Italy, from the 8th to the 1st century BC. For more than 2,000 years there has been disagreement on the Etruscans’ biological origins, whether local or in Anatolia. Genetic affinities with both Tuscan and Anatolian populations have been reported, but so far all attempts have failed to fit the Etruscans’ and modern populations in the same genealogy. We extracted and typed the hypervariable region of mitochondrial DNA of 14 individuals buried in two Etruscan necropoleis, analyzing them along with other Etruscan and Medieval samples, and 4,910 contemporary individuals from the Mediterranean basin. Comparing ancient (30 Etruscans, 27 Medieval individuals) and modern DNA sequences (370 Tuscans), with the results of millions of computer simulations, we show that the Etruscans can be considered ancestral, with a high degree of confidence, to the current inhabitants of Casentino and Volterra, but not to the general contemporary population of the former Etruscan homeland. By further considering two Anatolian samples (35 and 123 individuals) we could estimate that the genetic links between Tuscany and Anatolia date back to at least 5,000 years ago, strongly suggesting that the Etruscan culture developed locally, and not as an immediate consequence of immigration from the Eastern Mediterranean shores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Ghirotto
- Department of Biology and Evolution, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Francesca Tassi
- Department of Biology and Evolution, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Erica Fumagalli
- Department of Biology and Evolution, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Biotechnologies and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenza Colonna
- Department of Biology and Evolution, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Institute of Genetics e Biophysics “Adriano Buzzati-Traverso”, National Research Council, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Sandionigi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Martina Lari
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Stefania Vai
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Emmanuele Petiti
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Giorgio Corti
- Institute for Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | - Ermanno Rizzi
- Institute for Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluca De Bellis
- Institute for Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | - David Caramelli
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Guido Barbujani
- Department of Biology and Evolution, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Rizzi E, Lari M, Gigli E, De Bellis G, Caramelli D. Ancient DNA studies: new perspectives on old samples. Genet Sel Evol 2012; 44:21. [PMID: 22697611 PMCID: PMC3390907 DOI: 10.1186/1297-9686-44-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2011] [Accepted: 06/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In spite of past controversies, the field of ancient DNA is now a reliable research area due to recent methodological improvements. A series of recent large-scale studies have revealed the true potential of ancient DNA samples to study the processes of evolution and to test models and assumptions commonly used to reconstruct patterns of evolution and to analyze population genetics and palaeoecological changes. Recent advances in DNA technologies, such as next-generation sequencing make it possible to recover DNA information from archaeological and paleontological remains allowing us to go back in time and study the genetic relationships between extinct organisms and their contemporary relatives. With the next-generation sequencing methodologies, DNA sequences can be retrieved even from samples (for example human remains) for which the technical pitfalls of classical methodologies required stringent criteria to guaranty the reliability of the results. In this paper, we review the methodologies applied to ancient DNA analysis and the perspectives that next-generation sequencing applications provide in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ermanno Rizzi
- Institute for Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Via F.lli Cervi 93, Segrate, Milan 20090, Italy
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17
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Madrigal L, Posthumously LC, Melendez-Obando M, Villegas-Palma R, Barrantes R, Raventos H, Pereira R, Luiselli D, Pettener D, Barbujani G. High mitochondrial mutation rates estimated from deep-rooting Costa Rican pedigrees. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 148:327-33. [PMID: 22460349 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2011] [Accepted: 02/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Estimates of mutation rates for the noncoding hypervariable Region I (HVR-I) of mitochondrial DNA vary widely, depending on whether they are inferred from phylogenies (assuming that molecular evolution is clock-like) or directly from pedigrees. All pedigree-based studies so far were conducted on populations of European origin. In this article, we analyzed 19 deep-rooting pedigrees in a population of mixed origin in Costa Rica. We calculated two estimates of the HVR-I mutation rate, one considering all apparent mutations, and one disregarding changes at sites known to be mutational hot spots and eliminating genealogy branches which might be suspected to include errors, or unrecognized adoptions along the female lines. At the end of this procedure, we still observed a mutation rate equal to 1.24 × 10(-6) , per site per year, i.e., at least threefold as high as estimates derived from phylogenies. Our results confirm that mutation rates observed in pedigrees are much higher than estimated assuming a neutral model of long-term HVRI evolution. We argue that until the cause of these discrepancies will be fully understood, both lower estimates (i.e., those derived from phylogenetic comparisons) and higher, direct estimates such as those obtained in this study, should be considered when modeling evolutionary and demographic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Madrigal
- Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 3360, USA
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18
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Kirsanow K, Burger J. Ancient human DNA. Ann Anat 2012; 194:121-32. [PMID: 22169595 DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2011.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2011] [Revised: 11/07/2011] [Accepted: 11/08/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The contribution of palaeogenetic data to the study of various aspects of hominin biology and evolution has been significant, and has the potential to increase substantially with the widespread implementation of next generation sequencing techniques. Here we discuss the present state-of-the-art of ancient human DNA analysis and the characteristics of hominin aDNA that make sequence validation particularly complex. A brief overview of the development of anthropological palaeogenetic analysis is given to illustrate the technical challenges motivating recent technological advancements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karola Kirsanow
- Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Institute of Anthropology, Germany
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19
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Gerbault P, Liebert A, Itan Y, Powell A, Currat M, Burger J, Swallow DM, Thomas MG. Evolution of lactase persistence: an example of human niche construction. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2011; 366:863-77. [PMID: 21320900 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 286] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Niche construction is the process by which organisms construct important components of their local environment in ways that introduce novel selection pressures. Lactase persistence is one of the clearest examples of niche construction in humans. Lactase is the enzyme responsible for the digestion of the milk sugar lactose and its production decreases after the weaning phase in most mammals, including most humans. Some humans, however, continue to produce lactase throughout adulthood, a trait known as lactase persistence. In European populations, a single mutation (-13910*T) explains the distribution of the phenotype, whereas several mutations are associated with it in Africa and the Middle East. Current estimates for the age of lactase persistence-associated alleles bracket those for the origins of animal domestication and the culturally transmitted practice of dairying. We report new data on the distribution of -13910*T and summarize genetic studies on the diversity of lactase persistence worldwide. We review relevant archaeological data and describe three simulation studies that have shed light on the evolution of this trait in Europe. These studies illustrate how genetic and archaeological information can be integrated to bring new insights to the origins and spread of lactase persistence. Finally, we discuss possible improvements to these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Gerbault
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Wolfson House, 4 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HE, UK.
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NAVASCUÉS MIGUEL, DEPAULIS FRANTZ, EMERSON BRENTC. Combining contemporary and ancient DNA in population genetic and phylogeographical studies. Mol Ecol Resour 2010; 10:760-72. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2010.02895.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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21
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Ghirotto S, Mona S, Benazzo A, Paparazzo F, Caramelli D, Barbujani G. Inferring Genealogical Processes from Patterns of Bronze-Age and Modern DNA Variation in Sardinia. Mol Biol Evol 2009; 27:875-86. [DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msp292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
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