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.
The Galton Laboratory, Department of Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Sijia
S
Wang
Cecil M
CM
Lewis
Mattias
M
Jakobsson
Sohini
S
Ramachandran
Nicolas
N
Ray
Gabriel
G
Bedoya
Winston
W
Rojas
Maria V
MV
Parra
Julio A
JA
Molina
Carla
C
Gallo
Guido
G
Mazzotti
Giovanni
G
Poletti
Kim
K
Hill
Ana M
AM
Hurtado
Damian
D
Labuda
William
W
Klitz
Ramiro
R
Barrantes
Maria Cátira
MC
Bortolini
Francisco M
FM
Salzano
Maria Luiza
ML
Petzl-Erler
Luiza T
LT
Tsuneto
Elena
E
Llop
Francisco
F
Rothhammer
Laurent
L
Excoffier
Marcus W
MW
Feldman
Noah A
NA
Rosenberg
Andrés
A
Ruiz-Linares
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