TY - JOUR
T1 - Human Y-chromosome variation in the western mediterranean area
T2 - Implications for the peopling of the region
AU - Scozzari, Rosaria
AU - Cruciani, Fulvio
AU - Pangrazio, Alessandra
AU - Santolamazza, Piero
AU - Vona, Giuseppe
AU - Moral, Pedro
AU - Latini, Veronica
AU - Varesi, Laurent
AU - Memmi, Marc M.
AU - Romano, Valentino
AU - De Leo, Giacomo
AU - Gennarelli, Massimo
AU - Jaruzelska, Jadwiga
AU - Villems, Richard
AU - Parik, Jüri
AU - Macaulay, Vincent
AU - Torroni, Antonio
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - Y-chromosome variation was analyzed in a sample of 1127 males from the Western Mediterranean area by surveying 16 biallelic and 4 multiallelic sites. Some populations from Northeastern Europe and the Middle East were also studied for comparison. All Y-chromosome haplotypes were included in a parsimonious genealogic tree consisting of 17 haplogroups, several of which displayed distinct geographic specificities. One of the haplogroups, HG9.2, has some features that are compatible with a spread into Europe from the Near East during the Neolithic period. However, the current distribution of this haplogroup would suggest that the Neolithic gene pool had a major impact in the eastern and central part of the Mediterranean basin, but very limited consequences in Iberia and Northwestern Europe. Two other haplogroups, HG25.2 and HG2.2, were found to have much more restricted geographic distributions. The first most likely originated in the Berbers within the last few thousand years, and allows the detection of gene flow to Iberia and Southern Europe. The latter haplogroup is common only in Sardinia, which confirms the genetic peculiarity and isolation of the Sardinians. Overall, this study demonstrates that the dissection of Y-chromosome variation into haplogroups with a more restricted geographic distribution can reveal important differences even between populations that live at short distances, and provides new clues to their past interactions.
AB - Y-chromosome variation was analyzed in a sample of 1127 males from the Western Mediterranean area by surveying 16 biallelic and 4 multiallelic sites. Some populations from Northeastern Europe and the Middle East were also studied for comparison. All Y-chromosome haplotypes were included in a parsimonious genealogic tree consisting of 17 haplogroups, several of which displayed distinct geographic specificities. One of the haplogroups, HG9.2, has some features that are compatible with a spread into Europe from the Near East during the Neolithic period. However, the current distribution of this haplogroup would suggest that the Neolithic gene pool had a major impact in the eastern and central part of the Mediterranean basin, but very limited consequences in Iberia and Northwestern Europe. Two other haplogroups, HG25.2 and HG2.2, were found to have much more restricted geographic distributions. The first most likely originated in the Berbers within the last few thousand years, and allows the detection of gene flow to Iberia and Southern Europe. The latter haplogroup is common only in Sardinia, which confirms the genetic peculiarity and isolation of the Sardinians. Overall, this study demonstrates that the dissection of Y-chromosome variation into haplogroups with a more restricted geographic distribution can reveal important differences even between populations that live at short distances, and provides new clues to their past interactions.
KW - European populations
KW - West Mediterranean basin
KW - Y-chromosome haplogroups
KW - Y-chromosome polymorphisms
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U2 - 10.1016/S0198-8859(01)00286-5
DO - 10.1016/S0198-8859(01)00286-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 11543889
AN - SCOPUS:0034845350
VL - 62
SP - 871
EP - 884
JO - Human Immunology
JF - Human Immunology
SN - 0198-8859
IS - 9
ER -