March 21, 2008

Genomic admixture of Latin American Mestizos

PLoS Genetics has a new study on the origins of Latin American Mestizo populations.

PLoS Genetics doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1000037

Geographic Patterns of Genome Admixture in Latin American Mestizos

Sijia Wang et al.

The large and diverse population of Latin America is potentially a powerful resource for elucidating the genetic basis of complex traits through admixture mapping. However, no genome-wide characterization of admixture across Latin America has yet been attempted. Here, we report an analysis of admixture in thirteen Mestizo populations (i.e. in regions of mainly European and Native settlement) from seven countries in Latin America based on data for 678 autosomal and 29 X-chromosome microsatellites. We found extensive variation in Native American and European ancestry (and generally low levels of African ancestry) among populations and individuals, and evidence that admixture across Latin America has often involved predominantly European men and both Native and African women. An admixture analysis allowing for Native American population subdivision revealed a differentiation of the Native American ancestry amongst Mestizos. This observation is consistent with the genetic structure of pre-Columbian populations and with admixture having involved Natives from the area where the Mestizo examined are located. Our findings agree with available information on the demographic history of Latin America and have a number of implications for the design of association studies in population from the region.

Link

5 comments:

  1. Dear Crimson Guard
    From which book are these photos?

    ReplyDelete
  2. THE LIVING RACES OF MAN by Carleton S. Coon.

    Here's two more plates:

    Mestizo:

    http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/2459/mestizo2ys9.jpg

    Trihybrid:

    http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/9417/trihybridoy9.jpg

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks. I just hope that this book won't be out of print as the "Races of Europe" and the "Origin of Races" are!!!
    I was lucky that my University in UK had the second one and i was able to copy it. The "R. of E." book i downloaded it from the Internet.
    I have another small one called "the Story of Man".
    Do you know if the "Living Races of Man" is still in bookshops?

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  4. My advice is try Ebay, they always pop up every so often. I found many of these books for decent low prices and good conditions.

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  5. The pics show people selected for looking "mestizo" and the captions show that there is no real genetic data on them. "His father may have been pure Spanish" means little to me.

    ReplyDelete

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