title: First genetic insight into Libyan Tuaregs: a maternal perspective.
abstract: The Tuaregs are a semi-nomadic pastoralist people of northwest Africa. Their origins are still a matter of debate due to the scarcity of genetic and historical data. Here we report the first data on the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genetic characterization of a Tuareg sample from Fezzan (Libyan Sahara). A total of 129 individuals from two villages in the Acacus region were genetically analysed. Both the hypervariable regions and the coding region of mtDNA were investigated. Phylogeographic investigation was carried out in order to reconstruct human migratory shifts in central Sahara, and to shed light on the origin of the Libyan Tuaregs. Our results clearly show low genetic diversity in the sample, possibly due to genetic drift and founder effect associated with the separation of Libyan Tuaregs from an ancestral population. Furthermore, the maternal genetic pool of the Libyan Tuaregs is characterized by a major "European" component shared with the Berbers that could be traced to the Iberian Peninsula, as well as a minor 'south Saharan' contribution possibly linked to both Eastern African and Near Eastern populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ottoni
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez-Labarga
authors.forename: Eva-Liis
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Loogväli
authors.forename: Erwan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pennarun
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Achilli
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Angelis
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Trucchi
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Contini
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biondi
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rickards
mesh_terms: D044383:Black People / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D014644:Genetic Variation; D018392:Genomic Imprinting; D006801:Humans; D008002:Libya; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial