Contrasting patterns of nuclear and mtDNA diversity inNative American populations

YANG, NINGNING; MAZIÈRES, STÉPHANE; BRAVI, CLAUDIO; EXCOFFIER, LAURENT; RAY, NICOLAS; WANG, SIJIA; BURLEY, MARI-WYN; BEDOYA BERRÍO, GABRIEL; PARRA, MARIA; GALLO, CARLA; POLETTI, GIOVANNI; SALZANO, FRANCISCO; BORTOLINI, MARIA; DUGOUJON, JEAN-MICHEL; RUIZ-LINARES, ANDRES

ANNALS OF HUMAN GENETICS

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2010 vol. 74 p. 525 - 538

0003-4800

We report an integrated analysis of nuclear (autosomal, X- and Y-chromosome) STR dataand mtDNA D-loop sequences obtained in the same set of 22 Native populations from acrossthe Americas. A North to South gradient of decreasing population diversity was observed,consistent with the settlement of the Americas from the extreme North West of the continent.For all marker systems, this correlation is stronger with “least cost distances” considering thecoasts as facilitators of migration. Continent-wide estimates of population structure arehighest for the Y-chromosome and lowest for the autosomes, consistent with the effectivesize of the different marker systems examined. Population differentiation is highest in EastSouth America and lowest in Meso America and the Andean region. Regional analysessuggest a deviation from mutation drift equilibrium with evidence of population expansion inMeso America and the Andes and of population contraction in North West and East SouthAmerica. These data point to an early divergence of Andean and non-Andean SouthAmericans and a contrasting demographic history for populations from these regions.