title: Italian isolates today: geographic and linguistic factors shaping human biodiversity.
abstract: We briefly review the current status of anthropological and genetic studies of isolated populations and of their micro-evolutionary and biomedical applications, with particular emphasis on European populations. Thereafter, we describe the ongoing collaborative research project "Isolating the Isolates: geographic and cultural factors of human genetic variation" regarding Italian extant geographical and/or linguistic isolates, aimed at overcoming the limitations of previous studies regarding geographical coverage of isolates, number and type of genetic polymorphisms under study and suitability of the experimental design to investigate gene-culture coevolutionary processes. An interdisciplinary sampling approach will make it possible to collect several linguistic isolates and their geographic neighbours from Trentino, Veneto, Friuli, Tuscany, Sardinia and Calabria. This will be coupled with a shared genotyping strategy based on mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal polymorphisms. The results will be analyzed with a focus on the role of geographical and cultural factors in shaping human biodiversity. The aims of the project go beyond the simple reconstruction of the genetic structure and history of the examined groups. In fact, the study will also include an assessment for future bio-medical studies and the development of genetic and bio-demographic databases. Ethical and educational aspects are also foreseen by the project, by using informed consents together with disseminating activities in loco, completed by the creation of a dedicated web site for both scientific and public audiences.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell'Uomo, Universitá di Roma La Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185, Rome, Italy. destrobisol@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Destro Bisol
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anagnostou
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Batini
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Battaggia
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertoncini
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boattini
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caciagli
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Caló
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Capelli
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Capocasa
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Castrí
authors.forename: Graziella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciani
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Coia
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Corrias
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crivellaro
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ghiani
authors.forename: Donata
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luiselli
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mela
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Melis
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Montano
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paoli
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sanna
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rufo
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sazzini
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Taglioli
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tofanelli
authors.forename: Antonelli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Useli
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vona
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pettener