title: Demographic history of Canary Islands male gene-pool: replacement of native lineages by European.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The origin and prevalence of the prehispanic settlers of the Canary Islands has attracted great multidisciplinary interest. However, direct ancient DNA genetic studies on indigenous and historical 17th-18th century remains, using mitochondrial DNA as a female marker, have only recently been possible. In the present work, the analysis of Y-chromosome polymorphisms in the same samples, has shed light on the way the European colonization affected male and female Canary Island indigenous genetic pools, from the conquest to present-day times.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Autochthonous (E-M81) and prominent (E-M78 and J-M267) Berber Y-chromosome lineages were detected in the indigenous remains, confirming a North West African origin for their ancestors which confirms previous mitochondrial DNA results. However, in contrast with their female lineages, which have survived in the present-day population since the conquest with only a moderate decline, the male indigenous lineages have dropped constantly being substituted by European lineages. Male and female sub-Saharan African genetic inputs were also detected in the Canary population, but their frequencies were higher during the 17th-18th centuries than today.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The European colonization of the Canary Islands introduced a strong sex-biased change in the indigenous population in such a way that indigenous female lineages survived in the extant population in a significantly higher proportion than their male counterparts.
authors: Department of Genetics, University of La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco, Sánchez, La Laguna, 38271 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. rfregel@gmail.com
authors: Rosa
authors: R
authors: Fregel
authors: Verónica
authors: V
authors: Gomes
authors: Leonor
authors: L
authors: Gusmão
authors: Ana M
authors: AM
authors: González
authors: Vicente M
authors: VM
authors: Cabrera
authors: António
authors: A
authors: Amorim
authors: Jose M
authors: JM
authors: Larruga
mesh_terms: D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics*; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D005788:Gene Pool; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013030:Spain; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial