Demographic history of Canary Islands male gene-pool: replacement of native lineages by European

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2009

Authors

Rosa Fregel (Author) Other; Veronica Gomes (Author) Other; Leonor Gusmao (Author) FCUP; Ana M Gonzalez (Author) Other; Vicente M Cabrera (Author) Other; Antonio Amorim (Author) FCUP; Jose M Larruga (Author) Other

Journal

Title: BMC Evolutionary Biology

Vol. 9

Final page: 181

ISSN: 1471-2148

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 43 Citations

Scopus - 44 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Earth and related Environmental sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-GTE

DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-9-181

Abstract (EN): Background: The origin and prevalence of the prehispanic settlers of the Canary Islands has attracted great multidisciplinary interest. However, direct ancient DNA genetic studies on indigenous and historical 17th-18th century remains, using mitochondrial DNA as a female marker, have only recently been possible. In the present work, the analysis of Y-chromosome polymorphisms in the same samples, has shed light on the way the European colonization affected male and female Canary Island indigenous genetic pools, from the conquest to present-day times. Results: Autochthonous (E-M81) and prominent (E-M78 and J-M267) Berber Y-chromosome lineages were detected in the indigenous remains, confirming a North West African origin for their ancestors which confirms previous mitochondrial DNA results. However, in contrast with their female lineages, which have survived in the present-day population since the conquest with only a moderate decline, the male indigenous lineages have dropped constantly being substituted by European lineages. Male and female sub-Saharan African genetic inputs were also detected in the Canary population, but their frequencies were higher during the 17th-18th centuries than today. Conclusion: The European colonization of the Canary Islands introduced a strong sex-biased change in the indigenous population in such a way that indigenous female lineages survived in the extant population in a significantly higher proportion than their male counterparts.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 14