Niger-Congo speaking populations and the formation of the Brazilian gene pool: mtDNA and Y-chromosome data.
We analyzed sequence variation in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) hypervariable segment I (HVS-I) from 201 Black individuals from two Brazilian cities (Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre), and compared these data with published information from 21 African populations. A subset of 187 males of the sample was also characterized for 30 Y-chromosome biallelic polymorphisms, and the data were compared with those from 48 African populations. The mtDNA data indicated that respectively 69% and 82% of the matrilineages found in Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre originated from West-Central/Southeast Africa. These estimates are in close agreement with historical records which indicated that most of the Brazilian slaves who arrived in Rio de Janeiro were from West-Central Africa. In contrast to mtDNA, Y-chromosome haplogroup analysis did not allow discrimination between places of origin in West or West-Central Africa. Thus, when comparing these two major African regions, there seems to be higher genetic structure with mtDNA than with Y-chromosome data.
Hünemeier
Tábita
T
Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Carvalho
Cláudia
C
Marrero
Andrea Rita
AR
Salzano
Francisco Mauro
FM
Pena
Sérgio Danilo Junho
SD
Bortolini
Maria Cátira
MC
D000350:Africa, Central; D000354:Africa, Western; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics; D001938:Brazil; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial