Genetic variation and population structure in native Americans.
We examined genetic diversity and population structure in the American landmass using 678 autosomal microsatellite markers genotyped in 422 individuals representing 24 Native American populations sampled from North, Central, and South America. These data were analyzed jointly with similar data available in 54 other indigenous populations worldwide, including an additional five Native American groups. The Native American populations have lower genetic diversity and greater differentiation than populations from other continental regions. We observe gradients both of decreasing genetic diversity as a function of geographic distance from the Bering Strait and of decreasing genetic similarity to Siberians--signals of the southward dispersal of human populations from the northwestern tip of the Americas. We also observe evidence of: (1) a higher level of diversity and lower level of population structure in western South America compared to eastern South America, (2) a relative lack of differentiation between Mesoamerican and Andean populations, (3) a scenario in which coastal routes were easier for migrating peoples to traverse in comparison with inland routes, and (4) a partial agreement on a local scale between genetic similarity and the linguistic classification of populations. These findings offer new insights into the process of population dispersal and differentiation during the peopling of the Americas.
Wang
Sijia
S
The Galton Laboratory, Department of Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Lewis
Cecil M
CM
Jakobsson
Mattias
M
Ramachandran
Sohini
S
Ray
Nicolas
N
Bedoya
Gabriel
G
Rojas
Winston
W
Parra
Maria V
MV
Molina
Julio A
JA
Gallo
Carla
C
Mazzotti
Guido
G
Poletti
Giovanni
G
Hill
Kim
K
Hurtado
Ana M
AM
Labuda
Damian
D
Klitz
William
W
Barrantes
Ramiro
R
Bortolini
Maria Cátira
MC
Salzano
Francisco M
FM
Petzl-Erler
Maria Luiza
ML
Tsuneto
Luiza T
LT
Llop
Elena
E
Rothhammer
Francisco
F
Excoffier
Laurent
L
Feldman
Marcus W
MW
Rosenberg
Noah A
NA
Ruiz-Linares
Andrés
A
D000483:Alleles; D002877:Chromosomes, Human / Q000235:genetics; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005787:Gene Frequency; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D005843:Geography; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000235:genetics*; D007802:Language; D008037:Linguistics; D010802:Phylogeny; D011157:Population Dynamics