Microsatellites provide evidence for Y chromosome diversity among the founders of the New World

Abstract

Recently, Y chromosome markers have begun to be used to study Native American origins. Available data have been interpreted as indicating that the colonizers of the New World carried a single founder haplotype. However, these early studies have been based on a few, mostly complex polymorphisms of insufficient resolution to determine whether observed diversity stems from admixture or diversity among the colonizers. Because the interpretation of Y chromosomal variation in the New World depends on founding diversity, it is important to develop marker systems with finer resolution. Here we evaluate the hypothesis of a single-founder Y haplotype for Amerinds by using 11 Y-specific markers in five Colombian Amerind populations. Two of these markers (DYS271, DYS287) are reliable indicators of admixture and detected three non-Amerind chromosomes in our sample. Two other markers (DYS199, M19) are single-nucleotide polymorphisms mostly restricted to Native Americans. The relatedness of chromosomes defined by these two markers was evaluated by constructing haplotypes with seven microsatellite loci (DYS388 to 394). The microsatellite backgrounds found on the two haplogroups defined by marker DYS199 demonstrate the existence of at least two Amerind founder haplotypes, one of them (carrying allele DYS199 T) largely restricted to Native Americans. The estimated age and distribution of these haplogroups places them among the founders of the New World.

Patterns of male‐specific inter‐population divergence in Europe, West Asia and North Africa

“…In the first one the calculation of ASD is made by assuming the ancestral haplo-type to be the most common in each network. For networks 1n2, 1n3, 3n1G, 3n1A and 1n4 the commonest haplotype is also constituted by the modal microsatellite alleles (Ruiz-Linares et al 1999) within each network, bringing further support to the choice as the ancestral candidate.…”

High frequencies of Y chromosome lineages characterized by E3b1, DYS19-11, DYS392-12 in Somali males

“…We also calculated the TMRCA using the variance of repeat scores observed (averaged over loci) within a haplogroup. 26,27 Bayesian analysis of trees with internal node generation (BATWING) 28 was used to estimate the expansion times of a set of Somali Y chromosomes. The demographic model assumed exponential growth from an initially constantsized population beginning at time Beta.…”

Distinguishing human ethnic groups by means of sequences from Helicobacter pylori : Lessons from Ladakh

“…Because of these limitations, alternative genetic markers have been used increasingly since the mid-1990s, including microsatellites (7)(8)(9) and single-nucleotide polymorphisms on the Y chromosome (10)(11)(12)(13)(14) and in autosomal genes (15)(16)(17)(18). Each of these newer genetic markers also has limitations.…”