December 18, 2008

Out of Iberia and into North Africa

American Journal of Physical Anthropology

Post-last glacial maximum expansion from Iberia to North Africa revealed by fine characterization of mtDNA H haplogroup in Tunisia

Lotfi Cherni et al.

Abstract

The first large-scale fine characterization of Tunisian H lineages clarifies that the post-Last glacial maximum expansion originating in Iberia not only led to the resettlement of Europe but also of North Africa. We found that 46% of 81 Tunisian H lineages subscreened for 1,580 bp in mtDNA coding region were affiliated with H1 and H3 subhaplogroups, which are known to have originated in Iberia. Although no signs of local expansion were detected, which would allow a clear dating of their introduction, the younger and less diverse Tunisian H1 and H3 lineages indicate Iberia as the radiating centre. Major contributions from historical migrations to this Iberian genetic imprint in Tunisia were ruled out by the mtDNA gene pool similarity between Berber/Arab/cosmopolitan samples and some "Andalusian" communities, settled by the descendents of the "Moors" who once lived in Iberia for 10 centuries (between 8th and 17th centuries), before being expelled to Tunisia.

Link

4 comments:

Maju said...

That must also mean that U6 comes from Iberia as well, even if U6a made a countertide swing from Sudan.

It probably explains as well the presence of R1b in tropical Africa (to where it must have arrived via Sudan too).

And certainly it explains how Cromagnons slipped into Africa and western like cave art reached to Egypt. All in Oranian times, whose peculiar tipped arrow tech now I realize that fits vey well with SW Iberian peculiar Gravetto-Solutrean ("Gravettizing Solutrean") culture (who also made those tips, along with more typicaly Solutrean laurel leave points).

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Anyhow the link gives a DOI not found. The correct one is DOI: 10.1353

Maju said...

Erratum: "SW Iberian" should read "SE Iberian" (the GS culture extended roughly from Valencia to Malaga).

Crimson Guard said...

The new date for R1b I think is 15,000 years ago.

Maju said...

"New date" by whom?

I estimate it to be possibly Gravettian (doubly older). But I also estimate OOA to be 30,000 years older than Karafet (for whome 70,000 years BP is an assumption, on which they base everything else).