mtDNA variation in the Buryat population of the Barguzin Valley: New insights into the micro-evolutionary history of the Baikal area.
BACKGROUND
Southern Siberian populations, including the Buryat, have been of great interest in investigating the exchanges between Eastern and Western Eurasia and understanding the peopling of Siberia and the New World.


OBJECTIVE
Previous studies mainly employed a phylogenetic approach, and thus used pooled samples to detect a maximum of variability. As different sampling strategies may result in different pictures of a population's evolutionary history, we proposed in this study to focus on a local Buryat population selected on the basis of geographical, archaeological and ethno-historical data.


METHODS
This study investigated a local population from the Barguzin Valley, on the north-western shores of Lake Baikal identified as the most likely place of Buryat origin. We analysed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) RFLPs markers, HVS-I and HVS-II sequences to discuss the genetic variability of this population, and to compare our local sample with pooled Buryat samples and neighbouring Siberian populations.


RESULTS
The Barguzin Buryat sample shows depressed neutrality scores compared to the pooled Buryat sample, and different genetic affinities with the Mongol and Turco-Evenk populations.


CONCLUSIONS
These results underline the need to use local samples, in addition to pooled samples, to investigate the history of human populations at the micro-evolutionary level.
Gibert
Morgane
M
Laboratory AMIS, University of Toulouse/CNRS, Toulouse, France. gibert@cict.fr
Theves
C
C
Ricaut
F X
FX
Dambueva
I
I
Bazarov
B
B
Moral
P
P
Crubezy
E
E
Perrucho
M
M
Felix-Sanchez
M
M
Sevin
A
A
D001483:Base Sequence; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D003710:Demography; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005788:Gene Pool; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005843:Geography; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D018401:Sample Size; D012800:Siberia
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial