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The genetic prehistory of southern Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Joseph K. Pickrell

    (Harvard Medical School)

  • Nick Patterson

    (Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard)

  • Chiara Barbieri

    (Max Planck Research Group on Comparative Population Linguistics, MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology
    Present address: Department of Evolutionary Genetics, MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.)

  • Falko Berthold

    (Max Planck Research Group on Comparative Population Linguistics, MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology
    Present address: Department of Linguistics, MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany and Seminar für Afrikawissenschaften, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.)

  • Linda Gerlach

    (Max Planck Research Group on Comparative Population Linguistics, MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology
    Present address: Department of Linguistics, MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany and Seminar für Afrikawissenschaften, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.)

  • Tom Güldemann

    (Seminar für Afrikawissenschaften, Humboldt University
    MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology)

  • Blesswell Kure

    (Aarhus University)

  • Sununguko Wata Mpoloka

    (University of Botswana)

  • Hirosi Nakagawa

    (Institute of Global Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies)

  • Christfried Naumann

    (Seminar für Afrikawissenschaften, Humboldt University
    MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology)

  • Mark Lipson

    (MIT
    MIT)

  • Po-Ru Loh

    (MIT
    MIT)

  • Joseph Lachance

    (University of Pennsylvania
    University of Pennsylvania)

  • Joanna Mountain

    (23andMe, Inc.)

  • Carlos D. Bustamante

    (Stanford University)

  • Bonnie Berger

    (MIT
    MIT)

  • Sarah A. Tishkoff

    (University of Pennsylvania
    University of Pennsylvania)

  • Brenna M. Henn

    (Stanford University)

  • Mark Stoneking

    (MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology)

  • David Reich

    (Harvard Medical School
    Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard)

  • Brigitte Pakendorf

    (Max Planck Research Group on Comparative Population Linguistics, MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology
    Present address: Laboratoire Dynamique du Langage, UMR5596, CNRS and Université Lyon Lumière 2, Lyon, France.)

Abstract

Southern and eastern African populations that speak non-Bantu languages with click consonants are known to harbour some of the most ancient genetic lineages in humans, but their relationships are poorly understood. Here, we report data from 23 populations analysed at over half a million single-nucleotide polymorphisms, using a genome-wide array designed for studying human history. The southern African Khoisan fall into two genetic groups, loosely corresponding to the northwestern and southeastern Kalahari, which we show separated within the last 30,000 years. We find that all individuals derive at least a few percent of their genomes from admixture with non-Khoisan populations that began ∼1,200 years ago. In addition, the East African Hadza and Sandawe derive a fraction of their ancestry from admixture with a population related to the Khoisan, supporting the hypothesis of an ancient link between southern and eastern Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Joseph K. Pickrell & Nick Patterson & Chiara Barbieri & Falko Berthold & Linda Gerlach & Tom Güldemann & Blesswell Kure & Sununguko Wata Mpoloka & Hirosi Nakagawa & Christfried Naumann & Mark Lipson &, 2012. "The genetic prehistory of southern Africa," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 3(1), pages 1-6, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:3:y:2012:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms2140
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2140
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    Cited by:

    1. Sam Tallman & Maria das Dores Sungo & Sílvio Saranga & Sandra Beleza, 2023. "Whole genomes from Angola and Mozambique inform about the origins and dispersals of major African migrations," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Marina Muzzio & Josefina M B Motti & Paula B Paz Sepulveda & Muh-ching Yee & Thomas Cooke & María R Santos & Virginia Ramallo & Emma L Alfaro & Jose E Dipierri & Graciela Bailliet & Claudio M Bravi & , 2018. "Population structure in Argentina," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(5), pages 1-13, May.
    3. Emile R Chimusa & Michelle Daya & Marlo Möller & Raj Ramesar & Brenna M Henn & Paul D van Helden & Nicola J Mulder & Eileen G Hoal, 2013. "Determining Ancestry Proportions in Complex Admixture Scenarios in South Africa Using a Novel Proxy Ancestry Selection Method," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(9), pages 1-14, September.

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