title: On the Bantu expansion.
abstract: Here we report the results of fine resolution Y chromosomal analyses (Y-SNP and Y-STR) of 267 Bantu-speaking males from three populations located in the southeast region of Africa. In an effort to determine the relative Y chromosomal affinities of these three genotyped populations, the findings are interpreted in the context of 74 geographically and ethnically targeted African reference populations representing four major ethno-linguistic groups (Afro-Asiatic, Niger Kordofanin, Khoisan and Pygmoid). In this investigation, we detected a general similarity in the Y chromosome lineages among the geographically dispersed Bantu-speaking populations suggesting a shared heritage and the shallow time depth of the Bantu Expansion. Also, micro-variations in the Bantu Y chromosomal composition across the continent highlight location-specific gene flow patterns with non-Bantu-speaking populations (Khoisan, Pygmy, Afro-Asiatic). Our Y chromosomal results also indicate that the three Bantu-speaking Southeast populations genotyped exhibit unique gene flow patterns involving Eurasian populations but fail to reveal a prevailing genetic affinity to East or Central African Bantu-speaking groups. In addition, the Y-SNP data underscores a longitudinal partitioning in sub-Sahara Africa of two R1b1 subgroups, R1b1-P25* (west) and R1b1a2-M269 (east). No evidence was observed linking the B2a haplogroup detected in the genotyped Southeast African Bantu-speaking populations to gene flow from contemporary Khoisan groups.
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA.
authors.forename: Daine J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Rowold
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Miami Dade College, Miami, FL 33132, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perez-Benedico
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Stojkovic
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.lastname: Alfonso-Sanchez
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, USA. Electronic address: renejustoherrera@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garcia-Bertrand
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, USA.
authors.forename: Rene J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Herrera
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics*; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics*; D051456:Gene Flow; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
keywords: Bantu; Forensic analysis; Population genetics; South East Africans; Y-STRs; Y-chromosome