Tracing the origin and geographic distribution of an ancestral form of the modern human Y chromosome

BRAVI CM; BAILLIET G; MARTÍNEZ-MARIGNAC VL; BIANCHI NO

Revista Chilena de Historia Natural

Sociedad de Biología de Chile

Lugar: Santiago de Chile; Año: 2001 vol. 74 p. 139 - 149

0717-6317

We screened a total of 841 Y chromosomes representing 36 human populations of wide geographical distribution for the presence of a Y -specific Alu insert (YAP+ chromosomes). The Alu element was found in 77 cases. We tested fivebiallelic and eight polyallelic markers in 70 out of the 77 YAP+ chromosomes. We could identify the existence of a hierarchical and chronological structuring of ancestral and derived YAP+ lineages giving rise to four haplogroups, 14subhaplogroups and 60 haplotypes. Moreover, we propose a monophyletic origin for each one of the Y AP+ lineages. Out-of-Africa and out-of-Asia models have been suggested to explain the origin and evolution of ancestral and derivedYAP+ elements. We analyse the evidence supporting these two hypotheses and we conclude that the information available supports better the out-of-Africa model.