Genetic structure of western Sicily

Archaeogenetics and Landscape Dynamics in Sicily during the Holocene: A Review

The Mediterranean islands and their population history are of considerable importance to the interpretation of the population history of Europe as a whole. In this context, Sicily, because of its geographic position, represents a bridge between Africa, the Near East, and Europe that led to the stratification of settlements and admixture events. The genetic analysis of extant and ancient human samples has tried to reconstruct the population dynamics associated with the cultural and demographic changes that took place during the prehistory and history of Sicily. In turn, genetic, demographic and cultural changes need to be understood in the context of the environmental changes that took place over the Holocene. Based on this framework, this paper aims to discuss the cultural and demographic dimension of the island by reviewing archaeogenetic studies, and lastly, we discuss the ecological constraints related to human peopling in times of change in landscapes that occurred on the island in various periods. Finally, possible directions for future archaeogenetic studies of Sicily are discussed. Despite its long human history, Sicily is still one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. The lessons we learn from the past use of landscape provide models for sustainable future management of the Mediterranean’s landscapes.

Y-chromosome 10 locus short tandem repeat haplotypes in a population sample from Sicily Italy

This study reports the first data on Y-chromosome-specific short tandem repeat (STR) haplotype frequencies, in the population of the island of Sicily (Italy), based on the combination of alleles at the following 10 Y-chromosome loci DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS437, DYS438, and DYS439. In a total of 117 males, 108 unique haplotypes were observed, with 99 of them being singletons. The 10 locus haplotypes generated a diversity value of 0.9987 and discriminatory power (DP) of 92.30%. The data on the seven of the 10 polymorphisms (DYS19; DYS389I; DYS389II; DYS390; DYS391; DYS392 and DYS393) that have been most studied in worldwide populations were compared with similar data from neighboring Mediterranean populations in order to address the question of shared ancestry, gene flow and population affinities. Overall, results indicate Sicily is closest genetically to the mainland Italian population but also with evidence of a significant African component in the male gene pool. These findings are consistent with those obtained from other genetic markers (autosomal and mitochondrial DNA as well as the classical blood groups) and also with the recorded settlement history (either peaceful or due to invasion) of the island.

Genetic structure and affinities of the Corsican population (France): classical genetic markers analysis

The frequencies of 19 classical genetic markers for a total of 54 alleles were studied in a sample of 1,164 individuals born and residing in five different regions of Corsica. The results, which are also discussed in the context of the Mediterranean populations, show the existence within Corsica of a certain genetic differentiation between north and south which follows the linguistic subdivision differentiation. Compared to the other Mediterranean populations, Corsica also appears to be greatly differentiated from the populations of regions such as France and Tuscany, regions which have had great political and cultural influence. The Mediterranean population most comparable to Corsica is Sardinia. Despite their common origin, however, they do not prove to be absolutely identical. The genetic characteristics of Corsica and their relationship with the Mediterranean populations are interpreted in terms of demographic and matrimonial structure, isolation, and genetic drift.

New data on the genetic structure of the population of Sicily: analysis of the Alia population (Palermo, Italy)

The distribution of 13 genetic markers (AB0, Rh, ACP, ADA, AK, ESD, GLO, PGD, PGMl, SOD, GC, TF, and PI) were studied in a sample from the Alia population of Sicily, Italy. A total of 34 alleles were detected. In comparison with other Sicilian populations, Alia always appeared genetically distinctive, either in terms of overall genetic diversity or for the number of unique alleles present. The results are consistent with previous studies that show no genetic uniformity within the island. More specifically, the data support the genetic divergence of the eastern and western halves of the island and highlight genetic boundaries that run through Sicily and divide it into three distinct areas.