The African contribution to the present-day population of the Azores Islands (Portugal): analysis of the Y chromosome haplogroup E.
Among the settlers that, from 1432 onwards, arrived to the Azores Islands were individuals of North and sub-Saharan African origin. A previous study of markers of the Y chromosome revealed that haplogroup E is the second more frequent in the Azores (13%). Since this haplogroup is heterogeneous and may contain subtypes of African or non-African origin, we analyzed an extended sample of 319 Azoreans, originating from the three groups of islands (Eastern, Central, and Western), to evaluate the African contribution to the present-day population of the Azores. Samples belonging to the E clade were distributed into six haplogroups, from which the most frequent was E3b1a, representing 47.2% of the E chromosomes (6.3% of the total sample). The sub-Saharan haplogroup E3a was found in 7.1% of E chromosomes (0.9% of the total), corresponding to the highest frequency reported so far in a Portuguese population. No significant differences were detected in the haplogroup distribution among groups of islands, as well as between Azores and most of other European populations compared. The present-day representation of sub-Saharan lineages in Azores, although reduced, is higher than in other Portuguese populations, where the demographic representation of sub-Saharan slaves is reported as similar.
Neto
Domingos
D
Department of Biology, Center of Research in Natural Resources (CIRN), University of the Azores, Portugal.
Montiel
Rafael
R
Bettencourt
Conceição
C
Santos
Cristina
C
Prata
Maria J
MJ
Lima
Manuela
M
D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D001394:Azores; D001483:Base Sequence; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D010375:Pedigree; D044382:Population Groups / Q000235:genetics*