Paternal lineages in Libya inferred from Y‐chromosome haplogroups |
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| Authors: | Soumaya Triki‐Fendri Paula Sánchez‐Diz Danel Rey‐González Imen Ayadi Ángel Carracedo Ahmed Rebai |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Research Group on Molecular and Cellular Screening Processes, Laboratory of Microorganisms and Biomolecules, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, Tunisia;2. Forensic Genetics Unit, Institute of Forensic Science, University of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain;3. Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
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| Abstract: | Many studies based on genetic diversity of North African populations have contributed to elucidate the modelling of the genetic landscape in this region. North Africa is considered as a distinct spatial‐temporal entity on geographic, archaeological, and historical grounds, which has undergone the influence of different human migrations along its shaping. For instance, Libya, a North African country, was first inhabited by Berbers and then colonized by a variety of ethnic groups like Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and, in recent times, Italians. In this study, we contribute to clarify the genetic variation of Libya and consequently, of North African modern populations, by the study of Libyan male lineages. A total of 22 Y‐chromosome‐specific SNPs were genotyped in a sample of 175 Libyan males, allowing the characterization of 18 Y‐chromosomal haplogroups. The obtained data revealed a predominant Northwest African component represented by haplogroup E‐M81 (33.7%) followed by J(xJ1a,J2)‐M304 (27.4%), which is postulated to have a Middle Eastern origin. The comparative study with other populations (～5,400 individuals from North Africa, Middle East, Sub‐Saharan Africa, and Europe) revealed a general genetic homogeneity among North African populations (FST = 5.3 %; P‐value < 0.0001). Overall, the Y‐haplogroup diversity in Libya and in North Africa is characterized by two genetic components. The first signature is typical of Berber‐speaking people (E‐M81), the autochthonous inhabitants, whereas the second is (J(xJ1a,J2)‐M304), originating from Arabic populations. This is in agreement with the hypothesis of an Arabic expansion from the Middle East, shaping the North African genetic landscape. Am J Phys Anthropol 157:242–251, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. |
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| Keywords: | Libya North Africa haplogroup Y‐SNP Y‐STR |
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