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Disha B, Mathew RP, Dalal AB, Mahato AK, Satyamoorthy K, Singh KK, Thangaraj K, Govindaraj P. Mitochondria in biology and medicine - 2023. Mitochondrion 2024; 76:101853. [PMID: 38423268 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2024.101853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondria are an indispensable part of the cell that plays a crucial role in regulating various signaling pathways, energy metabolism, cell differentiation, proliferation, and cell death. Since mitochondria have their own genetic material, they differ from their nuclear counterparts, and dysregulation is responsible for a broad spectrum of diseases. Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with several disorders, including neuro-muscular disorders, cancer, and premature aging, among others. The intricacy of the field is due to the cross-talk between nuclear and mitochondrial genes, which has also improved our knowledge of mitochondrial functions and their pathogenesis. Therefore, interdisciplinary research and communication are crucial for mitochondrial biology and medicine due to the challenges they pose for diagnosis and treatment. The ninth annual conference of the Society for Mitochondria Research and Medicine (SMRM)- India, titled "Mitochondria in Biology and Medicine" was organized at the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, India, on June 21-23, 2023. The latest advancements in the field of mitochondrial biology and medicine were discussed at the conference. In this article, we summarize the entire event for the benefit of researchers working in the field of mitochondrial biology and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Disha
- Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Uppal, Hyderabad 500039, India; Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Rohan Peter Mathew
- Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Uppal, Hyderabad 500039, India; Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India
| | - Ashwin B Dalal
- Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Uppal, Hyderabad 500039, India
| | - Ajay K Mahato
- Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Uppal, Hyderabad 500039, India
| | - Kapaettu Satyamoorthy
- Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara (SDM) University, SDM College of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Manjushree Nagar, Sattur, Dharwad 580009, India
| | - Keshav K Singh
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Kaul Genetics Building, Rm. 620, 720 20th St. South, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Kumarasamy Thangaraj
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500007, India
| | - Periyasamy Govindaraj
- Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Uppal, Hyderabad 500039, India; Department of Neuropathology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bengaluru 560029, India.
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2
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Padilla-Iglesias C, Derkx I. Hunter-gatherer genetics research: Importance and avenues. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2024; 6:e15. [PMID: 38516374 PMCID: PMC10955370 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2024.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Major developments in the field of genetics in the past few decades have revolutionised notions of what it means to be human. Although currently only a few populations around the world practise a hunting and gathering lifestyle, this mode of subsistence has characterised members of our species since its very origins and allowed us to migrate across the planet. Therefore, the geographical distribution of hunter-gatherer populations, dependence on local ecosystems and connections to past populations and neighbouring groups have provided unique insights into our evolutionary origins. However, given the vulnerable status of hunter-gatherers worldwide, the development of the field of anthropological genetics requires that we reevaluate how we conduct research with these communities. Here, we review how the inclusion of hunter-gatherer populations in genetics studies has advanced our understanding of human origins, ancient population migrations and interactions as well as phenotypic adaptations and adaptability to different environments, and the important scientific and medical applications of these advancements. At the same time, we highlight the necessity to address yet unresolved questions and identify areas in which the field may benefit from improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Inez Derkx
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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3
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Ragsdale AP, Weaver TD, Atkinson EG, Hoal EG, Möller M, Henn BM, Gravel S. A weakly structured stem for human origins in Africa. Nature 2023; 617:755-763. [PMID: 37198480 PMCID: PMC10208968 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06055-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Despite broad agreement that Homo sapiens originated in Africa, considerable uncertainty surrounds specific models of divergence and migration across the continent1. Progress is hampered by a shortage of fossil and genomic data, as well as variability in previous estimates of divergence times1. Here we seek to discriminate among such models by considering linkage disequilibrium and diversity-based statistics, optimized for rapid, complex demographic inference2. We infer detailed demographic models for populations across Africa, including eastern and western representatives, and newly sequenced whole genomes from 44 Nama (Khoe-San) individuals from southern Africa. We infer a reticulated African population history in which present-day population structure dates back to Marine Isotope Stage 5. The earliest population divergence among contemporary populations occurred 120,000 to 135,000 years ago and was preceded by links between two or more weakly differentiated ancestral Homo populations connected by gene flow over hundreds of thousands of years. Such weakly structured stem models explain patterns of polymorphism that had previously been attributed to contributions from archaic hominins in Africa2-7. In contrast to models with archaic introgression, we predict that fossil remains from coexisting ancestral populations should be genetically and morphologically similar, and that only an inferred 1-4% of genetic differentiation among contemporary human populations can be attributed to genetic drift between stem populations. We show that model misspecification explains the variation in previous estimates of divergence times, and argue that studying a range of models is key to making robust inferences about deep history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron P Ragsdale
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Timothy D Weaver
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth G Atkinson
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Eileen G Hoal
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Marlo Möller
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Brenna M Henn
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Simon Gravel
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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4
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Grine FE, Mongle CS, Kollmer W, Romanos G, du Plessis A, Maureille B, Braga J. Hypercementosis in Late Pleistocene Homo sapiens fossils from Klasies River Main Site, South Africa. Arch Oral Biol 2023; 149:105664. [PMID: 36889227 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2023.105664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine early Homo sapiens fossils from the Late Pleistocene site of Klasies River Main Site, South Africa for evidence of hypercementosis. The specimens represent seven adult individuals dated to between 119,000 and 58,000 years ago. These observations are contextualized in relation to the incidences of hypercementosis among recent human populations and fossil human samples and the potential etiologies of hypercementosis. DESIGN The fossils were investigated utilizing micro-CT and nano-CT scanning to visualize and measure cementum apposition on permanent incisor, premolar and molar roots. Cementum thickness was measured at mid-root level, and the volume of the cementum sleeve was calculated for the two fossil specimens that display marked hypercementosis. RESULTS Two of the fossils display no evidence of cementum hypertrophy. Three exhibit moderate cementum thickening, barely attaining the quantitative threshold for hypercementosis. Two evince marked hypercementosis. One of the Klasies specimens with marked hypercementosis is judged to be an older individual with periapical abscessing. The second specimen is a younger adult, and seemingly similar in age to other Klasies fossils that exhibit only minimal cementum apposition. However, this second specimen exhibits dento-alveolar ankylosis of the premolar and molars. CONCLUSIONS These two fossils from Klasies River Main Site provide the earliest manifestation of hypercementosis in Homo sapiens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick E Grine
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
| | - Carrie S Mongle
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - William Kollmer
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Department of Periodontology, Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Georgios Romanos
- Department of Periodontology, Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Anton du Plessis
- Department of Physics, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa; Object Research Systems, 460 Saint-Catherine St. W, Montreal, Quebec H3B 1A7, Canada
| | - Bruno Maureille
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Ministère de la Culture, PACEA, UMR5199, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - José Braga
- Center for Anthrobiology & Genomics Institute of Toulouse, CNRS UMR 5288, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, 37 allées Jules Guesde, Toulouse 31000, France
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5
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Grine FE, Mongle CS, Fleagle JG, Hammond AS. The taxonomic attribution of African hominin postcrania from the Miocene through the Pleistocene: Associations and assumptions. J Hum Evol 2022; 173:103255. [PMID: 36375243 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Postcranial bones may provide valuable information about fossil taxa relating to their locomotor habits, manipulative abilities and body sizes. Distinctive features of the postcranial skeleton are sometimes noted in species diagnoses. Although numerous isolated postcranial fossils have become accepted by many workers as belonging to a particular species, it is worthwhile revisiting the evidence for each attribution before including them in comparative samples in relation to the descriptions of new fossils, functional analyses in relation to particular taxa, or in evolutionary contexts. Although some workers eschew the taxonomic attribution of postcranial fossils as being less important (or interesting) than interpreting their functional morphology, it is impossible to consider the evolution of functional anatomy in a taxonomic and phylogenetic vacuum. There are 21 widely recognized hominin taxa that have been described from sites in Africa dated from the Late Miocene to the Middle Pleistocene; postcranial elements have been attributed to 17 of these. The bones that have been thus assigned range from many parts of a skeleton to isolated elements. However, the extent to which postcranial material can be reliably attributed to a specific taxon varies considerably from site to site and species to species, and is often the subject of considerable debate. Here, we review the postcranial remains attributed to African hominin taxa from the Late Miocene to the Middle and Late Pleistocene and place these assignations into categories of reliability. The catalog of attributions presented here may serve as a guide for making taxonomic decisions in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick E Grine
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA; Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA.
| | - Carrie S Mongle
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA; Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA; Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
| | - John G Fleagle
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
| | - Ashley S Hammond
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA; New York Consortium of Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, NY 10024, USA
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6
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Mongle CS, Pugh KD, Strait DS, Grine FE. Modelling hominin evolution requires accurate hominin data. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1090-1091. [PMID: 35788710 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01791-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carrie S Mongle
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. .,Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, New York, USA. .,Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, New York, USA.
| | - Kelsey D Pugh
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, USA
| | - David S Strait
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, USA
| | - Frederick E Grine
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, New York, USA.,Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, New York, USA
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7
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Meneganzin A, Pievani T, Manzi G. Pan-Africanism vs. single-origin of Homo sapiens: Putting the debate in the light of evolutionary biology. Evol Anthropol 2022; 31:199-212. [PMID: 35848454 PMCID: PMC9540121 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The scenario of Homo sapiens origin/s within Africa has become increasingly complex, with a pan-African perspective currently challenging the long-established single-origin hypothesis. In this paper, we review the lines of evidence employed in support of each model, highlighting inferential limitations and possible terminological misunderstandings. We argue that the metapopulation scenario envisaged by pan-African proponents well describes a mosaic diversification among late Middle Pleistocene groups. However, this does not rule out a major contribution that emerged from a single population where crucial derived features-notably, a globular braincase-appeared as the result of a punctuated, cladogenetic event. Thus, we suggest that a synthesis is possible and propose a scenario that, in our view, better reconciles with consolidated expectations in evolutionary theory. These indicate cladogenesis in allopatry as an ordinary pattern for the origin of a new species, particularly during phases of marked climatic and environmental instability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Giorgio Manzi
- Department of Environmental BiologySapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
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8
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Ahlquist KD, Bañuelos MM, Funk A, Lai J, Rong S, Villanea FA, Witt KE. Our Tangled Family Tree: New Genomic Methods Offer Insight into the Legacy of Archaic Admixture. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evab115. [PMID: 34028527 PMCID: PMC8480178 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The archaic ancestry present in the human genome has captured the imagination of both scientists and the wider public in recent years. This excitement is the result of new studies pushing the envelope of what we can learn from the archaic genetic information that has survived for over 50,000 years in the human genome. Here, we review the most recent ten years of literature on the topic of archaic introgression, including the current state of knowledge on Neanderthal and Denisovan introgression, as well as introgression from other as-yet unidentified archaic populations. We focus this review on four topics: 1) a reimagining of human demographic history, including evidence for multiple admixture events between modern humans, Neanderthals, Denisovans, and other archaic populations; 2) state-of-the-art methods for detecting archaic ancestry in population-level genomic data; 3) how these novel methods can detect archaic introgression in modern African populations; and 4) the functional consequences of archaic gene variants, including how those variants were co-opted into novel function in modern human populations. The goal of this review is to provide a simple-to-access reference for the relevant methods and novel data, which has changed our understanding of the relationship between our species and its siblings. This body of literature reveals the large degree to which the genetic legacy of these extinct hominins has been integrated into the human populations of today.
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Affiliation(s)
- K D Ahlquist
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Mayra M Bañuelos
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Alyssa Funk
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Jiaying Lai
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Brown Center for Biomedical Informatics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Stephen Rong
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Fernando A Villanea
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Kelsey E Witt
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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9
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Jablonski NG. The evolution of human skin pigmentation involved the interactions of genetic, environmental, and cultural variables. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2021; 34:707-729. [PMID: 33825328 PMCID: PMC8359960 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The primary biological role of human skin pigmentation is as a mediator of penetration of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) into the deep layers of skin and the cutaneous circulation. Since the origin of Homo sapiens, dark, protective constitutive pigmentation and strong tanning abilities have been favored under conditions of high UVR and represent the baseline condition for modern humans. The evolution of partly depigmented skin and variable tanning abilities has occurred multiple times in prehistory, as populations have dispersed into environments with lower and more seasonal UVR regimes, with unique complements of genes and cultural practices. The evolution of extremes of dark pigmentation and depigmentation has been rare and occurred only under conditions of extremely high or low environmental UVR, promoted by positive selection on variant pigmentation genes followed by limited gene flow. Over time, the evolution of human skin pigmentation has been influenced by the nature and course of human dispersals and modifications of cultural practices, which have modified the nature and actions of skin pigmentation genes. Throughout most of prehistory and history, the evolution of human skin pigmentation has been a contingent and non-deterministic process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina G. Jablonski
- Department of AnthropologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
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10
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Hollfelder N, Breton G, Sjödin P, Jakobsson M. The deep population history in Africa. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:R2-R10. [PMID: 33438014 PMCID: PMC8117439 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Africa is the continent with the greatest genetic diversity among humans and the level of diversity is further enhanced by incorporating non-majority groups, which are often understudied. Many of today's minority populations historically practiced foraging lifestyles, which were the only subsistence strategies prior to the rise of agriculture and pastoralism, but only a few groups practicing these strategies remain today. Genomic investigations of Holocene human remains excavated across the African continent show that the genetic landscape was vastly different compared to today's genetic landscape and that many groups that today are population isolate inhabited larger regions in the past. It is becoming clear that there are periods of isolation among groups and geographic areas, but also genetic contact over large distances throughout human history in Africa. Genomic information from minority populations and from prehistoric remains provide an invaluable source of information on the human past, in particular deep human population history, as Holocene large-scale population movements obscure past patterns of population structure. Here we revisit questions on the nature and time of the radiation of early humans in Africa, the extent of gene-flow among human populations as well as introgression from archaic and extinct lineages on the continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Hollfelder
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gwenna Breton
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Per Sjödin
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mattias Jakobsson
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Physical, Cnr Kingsway & University Roads, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2092, South Africa
- SciLifeLab, Stockholm and Uppsala, Entrance C11, BMC, Husargatan 3, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden
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11
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Schlebusch CM, Sjödin P, Breton G, Günther T, Naidoo T, Hollfelder N, Sjöstrand AE, Xu J, Gattepaille LM, Vicente M, Scofield DG, Malmström H, de Jongh M, Lombard M, Soodyall H, Jakobsson M. Khoe-San Genomes Reveal Unique Variation and Confirm the Deepest Population Divergence in Homo sapiens. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 37:2944-2954. [PMID: 32697301 PMCID: PMC7530619 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The southern African indigenous Khoe-San populations harbor the most divergent lineages of all living peoples. Exploring their genomes is key to understanding deep human history. We sequenced 25 full genomes from five Khoe-San populations, revealing many novel variants, that 25% of variants are unique to the Khoe-San, and that the Khoe-San group harbors the greatest level of diversity across the globe. In line with previous studies, we found several gene regions with extreme values in genome-wide scans for selection, potentially caused by natural selection in the lineage leading to Homo sapiens and more recent in time. These gene regions included immunity-, sperm-, brain-, diet-, and muscle-related genes. When accounting for recent admixture, all Khoe-San groups display genetic diversity approaching the levels in other African groups and a reduction in effective population size starting around 100,000 years ago. Hence, all human groups show a reduction in effective population size commencing around the time of the Out-of-Africa migrations, which coincides with changes in the paleoclimate records, changes that potentially impacted all humans at the time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina M Schlebusch
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa.,SciLifeLab, Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Per Sjödin
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gwenna Breton
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Torsten Günther
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Thijessen Naidoo
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa.,SciLifeLab, Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nina Hollfelder
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Agnes E Sjöstrand
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jingzi Xu
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lucie M Gattepaille
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mário Vicente
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Douglas G Scofield
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Uppsala Multidisciplinary Center for Advanced Computational Science, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Helena Malmström
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa
| | - Michael de Jongh
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Marlize Lombard
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa
| | - Himla Soodyall
- Division of Human Genetics, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand and National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Academy of Science of South Africa
| | - Mattias Jakobsson
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa.,SciLifeLab, Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden
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12
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Sjödin P, McKenna J, Jakobsson M. Estimating divergence times from DNA sequences. Genetics 2021; 217:iyab008. [PMID: 33769498 PMCID: PMC8049563 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The patterns of genetic variation within and among individuals and populations can be used to make inferences about the evolutionary forces that generated those patterns. Numerous population genetic approaches have been developed in order to infer evolutionary history. Here, we present the "Two-Two (TT)" and the "Two-Two-outgroup (TTo)" methods; two closely related approaches for estimating divergence time based in coalescent theory. They rely on sequence data from two haploid genomes (or a single diploid individual) from each of two populations. Under a simple population-divergence model, we derive the probabilities of the possible sample configurations. These probabilities form a set of equations that can be solved to obtain estimates of the model parameters, including population split times, directly from the sequence data. This transparent and computationally efficient approach to infer population divergence time makes it possible to estimate time scaled in generations (assuming a mutation rate), and not as a compound parameter of genetic drift. Using simulations under a range of demographic scenarios, we show that the method is relatively robust to migration and that the TTo method can alleviate biases that can appear from drastic ancestral population size changes. We illustrate the utility of the approaches with some examples, including estimating split times for pairs of human populations as well as providing further evidence for the complex relationship among Neandertals and Denisovans and their ancestors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per Sjödin
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 A, Uppsala 752 36, Sweden
| | - James McKenna
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 A, Uppsala 752 36, Sweden
| | - Mattias Jakobsson
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 A, Uppsala 752 36, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 A, Uppsala 752 36, Sweden
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13
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Cameron ME, Pfeiffer S, Stock J. Small body size phenotypes among Middle and Later Stone Age Southern Africans. J Hum Evol 2021; 152:102943. [PMID: 33571806 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Modern humans originated between 300 and 200 ka in structured populations throughout Africa, characterized by regional interaction and diversity. Acknowledgment of this complex Pleistocene population structure raises new questions about the emergence of phenotypic diversity. Holocene Southern African Later Stone Age (LSA) skeletons and descendant Khoe-San peoples have small adult body sizes that may reflect long-term adaptation to the Cape environment. Pleistocene Southern African adult body sizes are not well characterized, but some postcranial elements are available. The most numerous Pleistocene postcranial skeletal remains come from Klasies River Mouth on the Southern Cape coast of South Africa. We compare the morphology of these skeletal elements with globally sampled Holocene groups encompassing diverse adult body sizes and shapes (n = 287) to investigate whether there is evidence for phenotypic patterning. The adult Klasies River Mouth bones include most of a lumbar vertebra, and portions of a left clavicle, left proximal radius, right proximal ulna, and left first metatarsal. Linear dimensions, shape characteristics, and cross-sectional geometric properties of the Klasies River Mouth elements were compared using univariate and multivariate methods. Between-group principal component analyses group Klasies River Mouth elements, except the proximal ulna, with LSA Southern Africans. The similarity is driven by size. Klasies River Mouth metatarsal cross-sectional geometric properties indicate similar torsional and compressive strength to those from LSA Southern Africans. Phenotypic expressions of small-bodied adult morphology in Marine Isotope Stages 5 and 1 suggest this phenotype may represent local convergent adaptation to life in the Cape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle E Cameron
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, 19 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S2, Canada.
| | - Susan Pfeiffer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, 19 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S2, Canada; Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa; Department of Anthropology and Center for Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Science and Engineering Hall, 800 22nd St NW, Suite 6000, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Jay Stock
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3QG, UK; Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C2, UK; Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Str. 10, Jena, 07745, Germany
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14
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Bergström A, Stringer C, Hajdinjak M, Scerri EML, Skoglund P. Origins of modern human ancestry. Nature 2021; 590:229-237. [PMID: 33568824 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03244-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
New finds in the palaeoanthropological and genomic records have changed our view of the origins of modern human ancestry. Here we review our current understanding of how the ancestry of modern humans around the globe can be traced into the deep past, and which ancestors it passes through during our journey back in time. We identify three key phases that are surrounded by major questions, and which will be at the frontiers of future research. The most recent phase comprises the worldwide expansion of modern humans between 40 and 60 thousand years ago (ka) and their last known contacts with archaic groups such as Neanderthals and Denisovans. The second phase is associated with a broadly construed African origin of modern human diversity between 60 and 300 ka. The oldest phase comprises the complex separation of modern human ancestors from archaic human groups from 0.3 to 1 million years ago. We argue that no specific point in time can currently be identified at which modern human ancestry was confined to a limited birthplace, and that patterns of the first appearance of anatomical or behavioural traits that are used to define Homo sapiens are consistent with a range of evolutionary histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Bergström
- Ancient Genomics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Chris Stringer
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK.
| | - Mateja Hajdinjak
- Ancient Genomics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Eleanor M L Scerri
- Pan-African Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.,Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Pontus Skoglund
- Ancient Genomics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
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15
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Abstract
The study of ancient genomes has burgeoned at an incredible rate in the last decade. The result is a shift in archaeological narratives, bringing with it a fierce debate on the place of genetics in anthropological research. Archaeogenomics has challenged and scrutinized fundamental themes of anthropological research, including human origins, movement of ancient and modern populations, the role of social organization in shaping material culture, and the relationship between culture, language, and ancestry. Moreover, the discussion has inevitably invoked new debates on indigenous rights, ownership of ancient materials, inclusion in the scientific process, and even the meaning of what it is to be a human. We argue that the broad and seemingly daunting ethical, methodological, and theoretical challenges posed by archaeogenomics, in fact, represent the very cutting edge of social science research. Here, we provide a general review of the field by introducing the contemporary discussion points and summarizing methodological and ethical concerns, while highlighting the exciting possibilities of ancient genome studies in archaeology from an anthropological perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Gokcumen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14221, USA
| | - Michael Frachetti
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA
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16
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Schroeder L. Revolutionary Fossils, Ancient Biomolecules, and Reflections in Ethics and Decolonization: Paleoanthropology in 2019. AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aman.13410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Schroeder
- Department of Anthropology University of Toronto Mississauga Mississauga ON Canada
- Human Evolution Research Institute University of Cape Town Rondebosch Western Cape South Africa
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17
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Vicente M, Schlebusch CM. African population history: an ancient DNA perspective. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 62:8-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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18
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Durvasula A, Sankararaman S. Recovering signals of ghost archaic introgression in African populations. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaax5097. [PMID: 32095519 PMCID: PMC7015685 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax5097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
While introgression from Neanderthals and Denisovans has been documented in modern humans outside Africa, the contribution of archaic hominins to the genetic variation of present-day Africans remains poorly understood. We provide complementary lines of evidence for archaic introgression into four West African populations. Our analyses of site frequency spectra indicate that these populations derive 2 to 19% of their genetic ancestry from an archaic population that diverged before the split of Neanderthals and modern humans. Using a method that can identify segments of archaic ancestry without the need for reference archaic genomes, we built genome-wide maps of archaic ancestry in the Yoruba and the Mende populations. Analyses of these maps reveal segments of archaic ancestry at high frequency in these populations that represent potential targets of adaptive introgression. Our results reveal the substantial contribution of archaic ancestry in shaping the gene pool of present-day West African populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun Durvasula
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sriram Sankararaman
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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19
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African climate response to orbital and glacial forcing in 140,000-y simulation with implications for early modern human environments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:2255-2264. [PMID: 31964850 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1917673117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A climate/vegetation model simulates episodic wetter and drier periods at the 21,000-y precession period in eastern North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Levant over the past 140,000 y. Large orbitally forced wet/dry extremes occur during interglacial time, ∼130 to 80 ka, and conditions between these two extremes prevail during glacial time, ∼70 to 15 ka. Orbital precession causes high seasonality in Northern Hemisphere (NH) insolation at ∼125, 105, and 83 ka, with stronger and northward extended summer monsoon rains in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and increased winter rains in the Mediterranean Basin. The combined effects of these two seasonally distinct rainfall regimes increase vegetation and narrow the width of the Saharan-Arabian desert and semidesert zones. During the opposite phase of the precession cycle (∼115, 95, and 73 ka), NH seasonality is low, and decreased summer insolation and increased winter insolation cause monsoon and storm track rains to decrease and the width of the desert zone to increase. During glacial time (∼70 to 15 ka), forcing from large ice sheets and lowered greenhouse gas concentrations combine to increase winter Mediterranean storm track precipitation; the southward retreat of the northern limit of summer monsoon rains is relatively small, thereby limiting the expansion of deserts. The lowered greenhouse gas concentrations cause the near-equatorial zone to cool and reduce convection, causing drier climate with reduced forest cover. At most locations and times, the simulations agree with environmental observations. These changing regional patterns of climate/vegetation could have influenced the dispersal of early humans through expansions and contractions of well-watered corridors.
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20
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Lipson M, Ribot I, Mallick S, Rohland N, Olalde I, Adamski N, Broomandkhoshbacht N, Lawson AM, López S, Oppenheimer J, Stewardson K, Asombang RN, Bocherens H, Bradman N, Culleton BJ, Cornelissen E, Crevecoeur I, de Maret P, Fomine FLM, Lavachery P, Mindzie CM, Orban R, Sawchuk E, Semal P, Thomas MG, Van Neer W, Veeramah KR, Kennett DJ, Patterson N, Hellenthal G, Lalueza-Fox C, MacEachern S, Prendergast ME, Reich D. Ancient West African foragers in the context of African population history. Nature 2020; 577:665-670. [PMID: 31969706 PMCID: PMC8386425 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-1929-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Our knowledge of ancient human population structure in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly prior to the advent of food production, remains limited. Here we report genome-wide DNA data from four children-two of whom were buried approximately 8,000 years ago and two 3,000 years ago-from Shum Laka (Cameroon), one of the earliest known archaeological sites within the probable homeland of the Bantu language group1-11. One individual carried the deeply divergent Y chromosome haplogroup A00, which today is found almost exclusively in the same region12,13. However, the genome-wide ancestry profiles of all four individuals are most similar to those of present-day hunter-gatherers from western Central Africa, which implies that populations in western Cameroon today-as well as speakers of Bantu languages from across the continent-are not descended substantially from the population represented by these four people. We infer an Africa-wide phylogeny that features widespread admixture and three prominent radiations, including one that gave rise to at least four major lineages deep in the history of modern humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Lipson
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Isabelle Ribot
- Département d'Anthropologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Swapan Mallick
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Medical and Population Genetics Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nadin Rohland
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Iñigo Olalde
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nicole Adamski
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nasreen Broomandkhoshbacht
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Ann Marie Lawson
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Saioa López
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jonas Oppenheimer
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Kristin Stewardson
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Hervé Bocherens
- Department of Geosciences, Biogeology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Senckenberg Research Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Neil Bradman
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, UK
- The Henry Stewart Group, London, UK
| | - Brendan J Culleton
- Institutes of Energy and the Environment, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Els Cornelissen
- Department of Cultural Anthropology and History, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
| | | | - Pierre de Maret
- Faculté de Philosophie et Sciences Sociales, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Philippe Lavachery
- Agence Wallonne du Patrimoine, Service Public de Wallonie, Namur, Belgium
| | | | - Rosine Orban
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elizabeth Sawchuk
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Patrick Semal
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mark G Thomas
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Wim Van Neer
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Biology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Krishna R Veeramah
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Douglas J Kennett
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Nick Patterson
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Garrett Hellenthal
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Scott MacEachern
- Division of Social Science, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan, China
| | - Mary E Prendergast
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Saint Louis University, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Reich
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Medical and Population Genetics Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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21
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22
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Fortes‐Lima C, Mtetwa E, Schlebusch C. Unraveling African diversity from a cross-disciplinary perspective. Evol Anthropol 2019; 28:288-292. [PMID: 31617954 PMCID: PMC6916536 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cesar Fortes‐Lima
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal BiologyEvolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Ezekia Mtetwa
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal BiologyEvolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Carina Schlebusch
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal BiologyEvolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
- Palaeo‐Research InstituteUniversity of JohannesburgJohannesburgSouth Africa
- SciLifeLabUppsalaSweden
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23
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Abstract
Recently, prominent theoretical linguists have argued for an explicit scenario for the evolution of the human language capacity on the basis of its computational properties. Concretely, the simplicity of a minimalist formulation of the operation Merge, which allows humans to recursively compute hierarchical relations in language, has been used to promote a sudden-emergence, single-mutation scenario. In support of this view, Merge is said to be either fully present or fully absent: one cannot have half-Merge. On this basis, it is inferred that the emergence of our fully fledged language capacity had to be sudden. Thus, proponents of this view draw a parallelism between the formal complexity of the operation at the computational level and the number of evolutionary steps it must imply. Here, we examine this argument in detail and show that the jump from the atomicity of Merge to a single-mutation scenario is not valid and therefore cannot be used as justification for a theory of language evolution along those lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Tiago Martins
- Section of General Linguistics, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- University of Barcelona Institute for Complex Systems (UBICS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cedric Boeckx
- Section of General Linguistics, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- University of Barcelona Institute for Complex Systems (UBICS), Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institute for Advanced Studies and Research (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
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24
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Tryon CA. The Middle/Later Stone Age transition and cultural dynamics of late Pleistocene East Africa. Evol Anthropol 2019; 28:267-282. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Amato KR, Jeyakumar T, Poinar H, Gros P. Shifting Climates, Foods, and Diseases: The Human Microbiome through Evolution. Bioessays 2019; 41:e1900034. [PMID: 31524305 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Human evolution has been punctuated by climate anomalies, structuring environments, deadly infections, and altering landscapes. How well humans adapted to these new circumstances had direct effects on fitness and survival. Here, how the gut microbiome could have contributed to human evolutionary success through contributions to host nutritional buffering and infectious disease resistance is reviewed. How changes in human genetics, diet, disease exposure, and social environments almost certainly altered microbial community composition is also explored. Emerging research points to the microbiome as a key player in host responses to environmental change. Therefore, the reciprocal interactions between humans and their microbes are likely to have shaped human patterns of local adaptation throughout our shared evolutionary history. Recent alterations in human lifestyle, however, are altering human microbiomes in unprecedented ways. The consequences of interrupted host-microbe relationships for human adaptive potential in the future are unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R Amato
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, 1810 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Thiviya Jeyakumar
- McGill Center for the Study of Complex Traits, Department of Human Genetics, Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, 3649 Sir William Osler Promenade, Montreal, QC, H3G 0B1, Canada
| | - Hendrik Poinar
- Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4M4, Canada
| | - Philippe Gros
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, 3649 Sir William Osler Promenade, Montreal, QC, H3G 0B1, Canada
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Haber M, Jones AL, Connell BA, Asan, Arciero E, Yang H, Thomas MG, Xue Y, Tyler-Smith C. A Rare Deep-Rooting D0 African Y-Chromosomal Haplogroup and Its Implications for the Expansion of Modern Humans Out of Africa. Genetics 2019; 212:1421-1428. [PMID: 31196864 PMCID: PMC6707464 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Present-day humans outside Africa descend mainly from a single expansion out ∼50,000-70,000 years ago, but many details of this expansion remain unclear, including the history of the male-specific Y chromosome at this time. Here, we reinvestigate a rare deep-rooting African Y-chromosomal lineage by sequencing the whole genomes of three Nigerian men described in 2003 as carrying haplogroup DE* Y chromosomes, and analyzing them in the context of a calibrated worldwide Y-chromosomal phylogeny. We confirm that these three chromosomes do represent a deep-rooting DE lineage, branching close to the DE bifurcation, but place them on the D branch as an outgroup to all other known D chromosomes, and designate the new lineage D0. We consider three models for the expansion of Y lineages out of Africa ∼50,000-100,000 years ago, incorporating migration back to Africa where necessary to explain present-day Y-lineage distributions. Considering both the Y-chromosomal phylogenetic structure incorporating the D0 lineage, and published evidence for modern humans outside Africa, the most favored model involves an origin of the DE lineage within Africa with D0 and E remaining there, and migration out of the three lineages (C, D, and FT) that now form the vast majority of non-African Y chromosomes. The exit took place 50,300-81,000 years ago (latest date for FT lineage expansion outside Africa - earliest date for the D/D0 lineage split inside Africa), and most likely 50,300-59,400 years ago (considering Neanderthal admixture). This work resolves a long-running debate about Y-chromosomal out-of-Africa/back-to-Africa migrations, and provides insights into the out-of-Africa expansion more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Haber
- The Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SA, UK
| | | | - Bruce A Connell
- Glendon College, York University, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3N6, Canada
| | - Asan
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Elena Arciero
- The Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Huanming Yang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
- James D. Watson Institute of Genome Science, 310008 Hangzhou, China
| | - Mark G Thomas
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, WC1E 6BT, UK, and University College London (UCL) Genetics Institute, University College London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Yali Xue
- The Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SA, UK
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27
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Abstract
Context: Africa's role in the narrative of human evolution is indisputably emphasised in the emergence of Homo sapiens. However, once humans dispersed beyond Africa, the history of those who stayed remains vastly under-studied, lacking the proper attention the birthplace of both modern and archaic humans deserves. The sequencing of Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes has elucidated evidence of admixture between archaic and modern humans outside of Africa, but has not aided efforts in answering whether archaic admixture happened within Africa. Objectives: This article reviews the state of research for archaic introgression in African populations and discusses recent insights into this topic. Methods: Gathering published sources and recently released preprints, this review reports on the different methods developed for detecting archaic introgression. Particularly it discusses how relevant these are when implemented on African populations and what findings these studies have shown so far. Results: Methods for detecting archaic introgression have been predominantly developed and implemented on non-African populations. Recent preprints present new methods considering African populations. While a number of studies using these methods suggest archaic introgression in Africa, without an African archaic genome to validate these results, such findings remain as putative archaic introgression. Conclusion: In light of the caveats with implementing current archaic introgression detection methods in Africa, we recommend future studies to concentrate on unravelling the complicated demographic history of Africa through means of ancient DNA where possible and through more focused efforts to sequence modern DNA from more representative populations across the African continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Santander
- a Department of Zoology , University of Oxford , Oxford , UK
| | - Francesco Montinaro
- a Department of Zoology , University of Oxford , Oxford , UK.,b Estonian Biocentre , University of Tartu , Tartu , Estonia
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28
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Abstract
Hominin evolution is characterized by progressive regional differentiation, as well as migration waves, leading to anatomically modern humans that are assumed to have emerged in Africa and spread over the whole world. Why or whether Africa was the source region of modern humans and what caused their spread remains subject of ongoing debate. We present a spatially explicit, stochastic numerical model that includes ongoing mutations, demic diffusion, assortative mating and migration waves. Diffusion and assortative mating alone result in a structured population with relatively homogeneous regions bound by sharp clines. The addition of migration waves results in a power-law distribution of wave areas: for every large wave, many more small waves are expected to occur. This suggests that one or more out-of-Africa migrations would probably have been accompanied by numerous smaller migration waves across the world. The migration waves are considered "spontaneous", as the current model excludes environmental or other extrinsic factors. Large waves preferentially emanate from the central areas of large, compact inhabited areas. During the Pleistocene, Africa was the largest such area most of the time, making Africa the statistically most likely origin of anatomically modern humans, without a need to invoke additional environmental or ecological drivers.
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Enamel pearls: Their occurrence in recent human populations and earliest manifestation in the modern human lineage. Arch Oral Biol 2019; 101:147-155. [PMID: 30939297 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To document and describe the occurrence of an enamel pearl on the distal root surface of the maxillary M3 of the fossil hominin specimen from Florisbad, South Africa that is dated to ca. 259,000 years B.P., and is an early representative of Homo sapiens or as a member of the evolutionary line that was directly ancestral to modern humans. DESIGN The molar was examined macroscopically and by micro-computed tomography (μCT) to enable accurate measurement and visualization of the structure of the enamel pearl. RESULTS The single pearl has a diameter of 0.97 mm; it is a Type 2 "composite" pearl comprising an enamel cap and dentine core without pulp chamber involvement. The size of the Florisbad pearl falls within or just below the size ranges of this anomaly in modern human samples. Type 2 pearls are most commonly encountered in recent human populations, and the location of the pearl on the distal root surface of the Florisbad M3 is consistent with its most frequent location in recent humans. Pearls in recent human populations affect between 0.2-4.8% of individuals, and 1.7-6.8% of permanent molars. Pearls have been documented in several prehistoric human dentitions, and all examples are less than 4000 years old. CONCLUSIONS Enamel pearls have been associated with periodontal disease, but it is not possible to relate its presence to the advanced periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone loss in the Florisbad fossil. Florisbad presents the earliest evidence of this anomaly in the fossil record pertaining to modern humans.
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