Genetic Study Of Latin Americans Sheds Light On A Troubled History






Genetic Study Of Latin Americans Sheds Light On A Troubled History

ScienceDaily (Mar. 20, 2008) -- A recent molecular analysis of ancestry
across Latin America has revealed a marked differentiation between
regions and demonstrated a "genetic continuity" between pre-and post
Columbian populations. This study provides the first broad description
of how the genome diversity of populations from Latin America has been
shaped by the colonial history of the region. The research involved
the collaboration of teams at universities across Latin America, the
US and Europe, led by Dr. Andres Ruiz-Linares from University College
London.

The European colonization of the American continent, initiated in the
late fifteenth century, brought with it not only social and political
change, but also a dramatic shift from a Native American population to
a largely mixed population. The genetic traces of this turbulent
period in history are only now beginning to be explored with the
molecular tools provided by the human genome project.

The researchers examined genetic markers across the human genome, in
hundreds of individuals drawn from 13 mestizo populations found in
seven Latin American countries. The picture obtained is that of a
great variation in ancestry within and across regions, linked to and
led by the colonization that occurred. It also appears that mostly
Native and African women and European men contributed genes to the
subsequent generations.

Interestingly, despite the fact that the European colonization
occurred centuries ago, Latin Americans still preserve the genetic
heritage of the local (in many cases now extinct) Native populations
that mixed with the immigrants. This connection with the past has not
been erased despite the current high mobility of individuals.
Furthermore, it brings to life the "brotherhood" of each Latin
American population to the Native populations that currently inhabit
different countries.

In addition to providing a window into the past, the authors hope that
these analyses will contribute to the design of studies aimed at
identifying genes for diseases with different frequency in Native
Americans and Europeans. Researchers have so far focused on
populations from areas settled mainly by Native Americans and
Europeans. The genomic diversity of populations across regions in the
Americas with large African immigration is still mostly unexplored.

Journal reference: Wang S, Ray N, Rojas W, Parra MV, Bedoya G, et al.
(2008) Geographic Patterns of Genome Admixture in Latin American
Mestizos. PLoS Genet 4(3): e1000037. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1000037

Adapted from materials provided by Public Library of Science, via
EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
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