1
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Ndiaye M, Lespez L, Tribolo C, Rasse M, Hadjas I, Davidoux S, Huysecom É, Douze K. Two new Later Stone Age sites from the Final Pleistocene in the Falémé Valley, eastern Senegal. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0294346. [PMID: 38547134 PMCID: PMC10977785 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The understanding of cultural dynamics at work at the end of the Final Pleistocene in West Africa suffers from a significant lack of excavated and dated sites, particularly in the Sahelian and Sudanian ecozones. While the Later Stone Age shows varied behavioral developments in different parts of the continent, the chrono-cultural framework of this period remains largely unknown in West Africa. We report on archaeological, geomorphological, and chronological research on two Final Pleistocene Later Stone Age sites in the Falémé Valley, eastern Senegal. Optically stimulated luminescence ages place the site of Toumboura I-2017 between 17 ± 1 and 16 ± 1 ka and the Ravin de Sansandé site between 13 ± 1 ka and 12 ± 1.1 ka. The excavated lithics show typical Later Stone Age industries, characterized by chaînes opératoires of core reduction mainly producing flakes and bladelets as well as blades and laminar flakes. Segments dominate the toolkits but a few backed bladelets and end-scrapers on flake blanks were recognized. Local raw materials were used, with a preference for chert and quartz, as well as greywacke. These Later Stone Age lithic assemblages are the oldest known in Senegal so far and add to the small number of sites known in West Africa for this period, which are mainly located farther south, in sub-tropical ecozones. The Later Stone Age sites of the Falémé Valley are contemporaneous with typical Middle Stone Age technologies in Senegal dated to at least the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. Our results thus provide new archaeological evidence highlighting the complex cultural processes at work during the Final Pleistocene in West Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matar Ndiaye
- Department of Human Sciences, Laboratory of Prehistory and Protohistory, Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire (IFAN), University of Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Laurent Lespez
- Department of Geography, Laboratory of Physical Geography (LGP), CNRS-UMR 8591, University Paris-Est Creteil, Meudon, France
| | - Chantal Tribolo
- Department of Archaeosciences Bordeaux, University Bordeaux-Montaigne, Pessac, France
| | - Michel Rasse
- Department of Geography, Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée (ARCHÉORIENT), University Lumière - Lyon II, Lyon, France
| | - Irka Hadjas
- Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics (LIP), ETH-Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Davidoux
- Department of Geography, Laboratory of Physical Geography (LGP), CNRS-UMR 8591, University Paris-Est Creteil, Meudon, France
| | - Éric Huysecom
- Laboratory of Archaeology of Africa & Anthropology (ARCAN), University of Geneva, Genève, Switzerland
| | - Katja Douze
- Laboratory of Archaeology of Africa & Anthropology (ARCAN), University of Geneva, Genève, Switzerland
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2
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Fortes-Lima CA, Burgarella C, Hammarén R, Eriksson A, Vicente M, Jolly C, Semo A, Gunnink H, Pacchiarotti S, Mundeke L, Matonda I, Muluwa JK, Coutros P, Nyambe TS, Cikomola JC, Coetzee V, de Castro M, Ebbesen P, Delanghe J, Stoneking M, Barham L, Lombard M, Meyer A, Steyn M, Malmström H, Rocha J, Soodyall H, Pakendorf B, Bostoen K, Schlebusch CM. The genetic legacy of the expansion of Bantu-speaking peoples in Africa. Nature 2024; 625:540-547. [PMID: 38030719 PMCID: PMC10794141 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06770-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The expansion of people speaking Bantu languages is the most dramatic demographic event in Late Holocene Africa and fundamentally reshaped the linguistic, cultural and biological landscape of the continent1-7. With a comprehensive genomic dataset, including newly generated data of modern-day and ancient DNA from previously unsampled regions in Africa, we contribute insights into this expansion that started 6,000-4,000 years ago in western Africa. We genotyped 1,763 participants, including 1,526 Bantu speakers from 147 populations across 14 African countries, and generated whole-genome sequences from 12 Late Iron Age individuals8. We show that genetic diversity amongst Bantu-speaking populations declines with distance from western Africa, with current-day Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo as possible crossroads of interaction. Using spatially explicit methods9 and correlating genetic, linguistic and geographical data, we provide cross-disciplinary support for a serial-founder migration model. We further show that Bantu speakers received significant gene flow from local groups in regions they expanded into. Our genetic dataset provides an exhaustive modern-day African comparative dataset for ancient DNA studies10 and will be important to a wide range of disciplines from science and humanities, as well as to the medical sector studying human genetic variation and health in African and African-descendant populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar A Fortes-Lima
- Human Evolution Program, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Concetta Burgarella
- Human Evolution Program, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- AGAP Institut, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Rickard Hammarén
- Human Evolution Program, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anders Eriksson
- cGEM, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mário Vicente
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cecile Jolly
- Human Evolution Program, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Armando Semo
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Hilde Gunnink
- UGent Centre for Bantu Studies (BantUGent), Department of Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sara Pacchiarotti
- UGent Centre for Bantu Studies (BantUGent), Department of Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Leon Mundeke
- University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Igor Matonda
- University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Joseph Koni Muluwa
- Institut Supérieur Pédagogique de Kikwit, Kikwit, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Peter Coutros
- UGent Centre for Bantu Studies (BantUGent), Department of Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | | | - Vinet Coetzee
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Minique de Castro
- Biotechnology Platform, Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Peter Ebbesen
- Department of Health Science and Technology, University of Aalborg, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Joris Delanghe
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Mark Stoneking
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Lawrence Barham
- Department of Archaeology, Classics & Egyptology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Marlize Lombard
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Anja Meyer
- Human Variation and Identification Research Unit, School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Maryna Steyn
- Human Variation and Identification Research Unit, School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Helena Malmström
- Human Evolution Program, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jorge Rocha
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Himla Soodyall
- Division of Human Genetics, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Academy of Science of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Koen Bostoen
- UGent Centre for Bantu Studies (BantUGent), Department of Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Carina M Schlebusch
- Human Evolution Program, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
- SciLifeLab, Uppsala, Sweden.
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The genetic diversity of Bantu-speaking populations helped to shape African history. Nature 2023:10.1038/d41586-023-03379-7. [PMID: 38030761 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-03379-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
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Hammarén R, Goldstein ST, Schlebusch CM. Eurasian back-migration into Northeast Africa was a complex and multifaceted process. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290423. [PMID: 37939042 PMCID: PMC10631636 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have identified Northeast Africa as an important area for human movements during the Holocene. Eurasian populations have moved back into Northeastern Africa and contributed to the genetic composition of its people. By gathering the largest reference dataset to date of Northeast, North, and East African as well as Middle Eastern populations, we give new depth to our knowledge of Northeast African demographic history. By employing local ancestry methods, we isolated the Non-African parts of modern-day Northeast African genomes and identified the best putative source populations. Egyptians and Sudanese Copts bore most similarities to Levantine populations whilst other populations in the region generally had predominantly genetic contributions from the Arabian peninsula rather than Levantine populations for their Non-African genetic component. We also date admixture events and investigated which factors influenced the date of admixture and find that major linguistic families were associated with the date of Eurasian admixture. Taken as a whole we detect complex patterns of admixture and diverse origins of Eurasian admixture in Northeast African populations of today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rickard Hammarén
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Steven T. Goldstein
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Carina M. Schlebusch
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
- SciLifeLab, Uppsala, Sweden
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5
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Roca-Umbert A, Garcia-Calleja J, Vogel-González M, Fierro-Villegas A, Ill-Raga G, Herrera-Fernández V, Bosnjak A, Muntané G, Gutiérrez E, Campelo F, Vicente R, Bosch E. Human genetic adaptation related to cellular zinc homeostasis. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010950. [PMID: 37747921 PMCID: PMC10553801 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
SLC30A9 encodes a ubiquitously zinc transporter (ZnT9) and has been consistently suggested as a candidate for positive selection in humans. However, no direct adaptive molecular phenotype has been demonstrated. Our results provide evidence for directional selection operating in two major complementary haplotypes in Africa and East Asia. These haplotypes are associated with differential gene expression but also differ in the Met50Val substitution (rs1047626) in ZnT9, which we show is found in homozygosis in the Denisovan genome and displays accompanying signatures suggestive of archaic introgression. Although we found no significant differences in systemic zinc content between individuals with different rs1047626 genotypes, we demonstrate that the expression of the derived isoform (ZnT9 50Val) in HEK293 cells shows a gain of function when compared with the ancestral (ZnT9 50Met) variant. Notably, the ZnT9 50Val variant was found associated with differences in zinc handling by the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, with an impact on mitochondrial metabolism. Given the essential role of the mitochondria in skeletal muscle and since the derived allele at rs1047626 is known to be associated with greater susceptibility to several neuropsychiatric traits, we propose that adaptation to cold may have driven this selection event, while also impacting predisposition to neuropsychiatric disorders in modern humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Roca-Umbert
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC), Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la Vida, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge Garcia-Calleja
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC), Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la Vida, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marina Vogel-González
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alejandro Fierro-Villegas
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gerard Ill-Raga
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Víctor Herrera-Fernández
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anja Bosnjak
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gerard Muntané
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC), Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la Vida, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esteban Gutiérrez
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Felix Campelo
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rubén Vicente
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Bosch
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC), Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la Vida, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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6
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Almohammed EK, Hadi A, Al-Asmakh M, Lazim H. The Qatari population's genetic structure and gene flow as revealed by the Y chromosome. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290844. [PMID: 37656680 PMCID: PMC10473524 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Y-chromosome has been widely used in forensic genetic applications and human population genetic studies due to its uniparental origins. A large database on the Qatari population was created for comparison with other databases from the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, and Africa. We provide a study of 23 Y-STR loci included in PowerPlex Y23 (Promega, USA) that were genotyped to produce haplotypes in 379 unrelated males from Qatar, a country at the crossroads of migration patterns. Overall, the most polymorphic locus provided by the Promega kit was DYS458, with a genetic diversity value of 0.85 and a haplotype diversity of 0.998924. Athey's Haplogroup Predictor tool was used to predict haplogroups from Y-STR haplotypes in the Qatari population. In a median-joining network, the haplogroup J1 predominance (49%) in Qatar generated a star-like expansion cluster. The graph of population Q-matrix was developed using Y-STR data from 38 Middle Eastern and 97 African populations (11,305 individuals), and it demonstrated a stronger sub-grouping of countries within each ethnic group and showed the effect of Arabs on the indigenous Berbers of North Africa. The estimated migration rate between the Qatari and other Arabian populations was inferred using Bayesian coalescence theory in the Migrate-n program. According to the Gene Flow study, the main migration route was from Yemen to Kuwait through Qatar. Our research, using the PowerPlex Y23 database, shows the importance of gene diversity, as well as regional and social structuring, in determining the utility of demographic and forensic databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eida Khalaf Almohammed
- Ministry of Interior of Qatar, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Abdullah Hadi
- University of Central Lancashire Medical School, Preston, United Kingdom
| | - Maha Al-Asmakh
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hayder Lazim
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine (FHSCM), Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, United Kingdom
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7
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Hempel E, Bibi F, Faith JT, Koepfli KP, Klittich AM, Duchêne DA, Brink JS, Kalthoff DC, Dalén L, Hofreiter M, Westbury MV. Blue Turns to Gray: Paleogenomic Insights into the Evolutionary History and Extinction of the Blue Antelope (Hippotragus leucophaeus). Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6794086. [PMID: 36322483 PMCID: PMC9750129 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The blue antelope (Hippotragus leucophaeus) is the only large African mammal species to have become extinct in historical times, yet no nuclear genomic information is available for this species. A recent study showed that many alleged blue antelope museum specimens are either roan (Hippotragus equinus) or sable (Hippotragus niger) antelopes, further reducing the possibilities for obtaining genomic information for this extinct species. While the blue antelope has a rich fossil record from South Africa, climatic conditions in the region are generally unfavorable to the preservation of ancient DNA. Nevertheless, we recovered two blue antelope draft genomes, one at 3.4× mean coverage from a historical specimen (∼200 years old) and one at 2.1× mean coverage from a fossil specimen dating to 9,800-9,300 cal years BP, making it currently the oldest paleogenome from Africa. Phylogenomic analyses show that blue and sable antelope are sister species, confirming previous mitogenomic results, and demonstrate ancient gene flow from roan into blue antelope. We show that blue antelope genomic diversity was much lower than in roan and sable antelope, indicative of a low population size since at least the early Holocene. This supports observations from the fossil record documenting major decreases in the abundance of blue antelope after the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Finally, the persistence of this species throughout the Holocene despite low population size suggests that colonial-era human impact was likely the decisive factor in the blue antelope's extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Faysal Bibi
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - J Tyler Faith
- Natural History Museum of Utah, University of Utah, 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108,Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, 260 South Central Campus Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84112,Origins Centre, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Klaus-Peter Koepfli
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, George Mason University, Front Royal, VA 22630,Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
| | - Achim M Klittich
- Evolutionary Adaptive Genomics, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - David A Duchêne
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, Copenhagen, Denmark,Centre for Evolutionary Hologenomics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 1352, Denmark
| | | | - Daniela C Kalthoff
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Zoology, Box 50007, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Love Dalén
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Box 50007, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden,Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20c, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden,Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
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8
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Ancient DNA and deep population structure in sub-Saharan African foragers. Nature 2022; 603:290-296. [PMID: 35197631 PMCID: PMC8907066 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04430-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Multiple lines of genetic and archaeological evidence suggest that there were major demographic changes in the terminal Late Pleistocene epoch and early Holocene epoch of sub-Saharan Africa1–4. Inferences about this period are challenging to make because demographic shifts in the past 5,000 years have obscured the structures of more ancient populations3,5. Here we present genome-wide ancient DNA data for six individuals from eastern and south-central Africa spanning the past approximately 18,000 years (doubling the time depth of sub-Saharan African ancient DNA), increase the data quality for 15 previously published ancient individuals and analyse these alongside data from 13 other published ancient individuals. The ancestry of the individuals in our study area can be modelled as a geographically structured mixture of three highly divergent source populations, probably reflecting Pleistocene interactions around 80–20 thousand years ago, including deeply diverged eastern and southern African lineages, plus a previously unappreciated ubiquitous distribution of ancestry that occurs in highest proportion today in central African rainforest hunter-gatherers. Once established, this structure remained highly stable, with limited long-range gene flow. These results provide a new line of genetic evidence in support of hypotheses that have emerged from archaeological analyses but remain contested, suggesting increasing regionalization at the end of the Pleistocene epoch. DNA analysis of 6 individuals from eastern and south-central Africa spanning the past approximately 18,000 years, and of 28 previously published ancient individuals, provides genetic evidence supporting hypotheses of increasing regionalization at the end of the Pleistocene.
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9
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Grine FE, Gonzalvo E, Rossouw L, Holt S, Black W, Braga J. Variation in Middle Stone Age mandibular molar enamel-dentine junction topography at Klasies River Main Site assessed by diffeomorphic surface matching. J Hum Evol 2021; 161:103079. [PMID: 34739985 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The morphology and variability of the Middle Stone Age (MSA) hominin fossils from Klasies River Main Site have been the focus of investigation for more than four decades. The mandibular remains have figured prominently in discussions relating to robusticity, size dimorphism, and symphyseal morphology. Variation in corpus size between the robust SAM-AP 6223 and the diminutive SAM-AP 6225 mandibles is particularly impressive, and the difference between the buccolingual diameters of their M2s significantly exceeds recent human sample variation. SAM-AP 6223 and SAM-AP 6225 are the only Klasies specimens with homologous teeth (M2 and M3) that permit comparisons of crown morphology. While the differences in dental trait expression at the outer enamel surfaces of these molars are slight, diffeomorphic surface analyses of their underlying enamel-dentine junction (EDJ) topographies reveal differences that are well beyond the means of pairwise differences among comparative samples of Later Stone Age (LSA) Khoesan and recent African homologues. The EDJs of both SAM-AP 6225 molars and the SAM-AP 6223 M3 fall outside the envelopes that define the morphospace of these two samples. Although the radiocarbon dated LSA individuals examined here differ by a maximum of some 7000 years, and the two Klasies jaws may differ by perhaps as much as 18,000 years, it is difficult to ascribe their differences to time alone. With reference to the morphoscopic traits by which the SAM-AP 6223 and SAM-AP 6225 EDJs differ, the most striking is the expression of the protoconid cingulum. This is very weakly developed on the SAM-AP 6223 molars and distinct in SAM-AP 6225. As such, this diminutive fossil exhibits a more pronounced manifestation of what is likely a plesiomorphic feature, thus adding to the morphological mosaicism that is evident in the Klasies hominin assemblage. Several possible explanations for the variation and mosaicism in this MSA sample are discussed.
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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.
| | - Elsa Gonzalvo
- Centre d'Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, Toulouse, France
| | - Lloyd Rossouw
- Florisbad Quaternary Research Department, The National Museum, 36 Aliwal Street, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
| | - Sharon Holt
- Florisbad Quaternary Research Department, The National Museum, 36 Aliwal Street, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
| | - Wendy Black
- Archaeology Unit, Research and Exhibitions Department, Iziko Museums of South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - José Braga
- Centre d'Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, Toulouse, France; Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa
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10
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Liu Y, Mao X, Krause J, Fu Q. Insights into human history from the first decade of ancient human genomics. Science 2021; 373:1479-1484. [PMID: 34554811 DOI: 10.1126/science.abi8202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Xiaowei Mao
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Johannes Krause
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Qiaomei Fu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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11
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Ghazal H, Adam Y, Idrissi Azami A, Sehli S, Nyarko HN, Chaouni B, Olasehinde G, Isewon I, Adebiyi M, Ajani O, Matovu E, Obembe O, Ajamma Y, Kuzamunu G, Pandam Salifu S, Kayondo J, Benkahla A, Adebiyi E. Plant genomics in Africa: present and prospects. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 107:21-36. [PMID: 33837593 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Plants are the world's most consumed goods. They are of high economic value and bring many health benefits. In most countries in Africa, the supply and quality of food will rise to meet the growing population's increasing demand. Genomics and other biotechnology tools offer the opportunity to improve subsistence crops and medicinal herbs in the continent. Significant advances have been made in plant genomics, which have enhanced our knowledge of the molecular processes underlying both plant quality and yield. The sequencing of complex genomes of African plant species, facilitated by the continuously evolving next-generation sequencing technologies and advanced bioinformatics approaches, has provided new opportunities for crop improvement. This review summarizes the achievements of genome sequencing projects of endemic African plants in the last two decades. We also present perspectives and challenges for future plant genomic studies that will accelerate important plant breeding programs for African communities. These challenges include a lack of basic facilities, a lack of sequencing and bioinformatics facilities, and a lack of skills to design genomics studies. However, it is imperative to state that African countries have become key players in the plant genome revolution and genome derived-biotechnology. Therefore, African governments should invest in public plant genomics research and applications, establish bioinformatics platforms and training programs, and stimulate university and industry partnerships to fully deploy plant genomics, particularly in the fields of agriculture and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Ghazal
- National Center for Scientific and Technical Research, Rabat, Morocco
- Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Yagoub Adam
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ogun State, Km 10 Idiroko Road, P.M.B. 1023, Nigeria
| | | | - Sofia Sehli
- Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Hannah N Nyarko
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Bouchra Chaouni
- Laboratory of Plant and Microbial Biotechnology, Biodiversity and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, University Mohammed V, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Grace Olasehinde
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ogun State, Km 10 Idiroko Road, P.M.B. 1023, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Covenant University, Ogun State, Km 10 Idiroko Road, P.M.B. 1023, Ota, Nigeria
| | - Itunuoluwa Isewon
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ogun State, Km 10 Idiroko Road, P.M.B. 1023, Nigeria
- Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Covenant University, Ogun State, Km 10 Idiroko Road, P.M.B. 1023, Ota, Nigeria
| | - Marion Adebiyi
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ogun State, Km 10 Idiroko Road, P.M.B. 1023, Nigeria
- Department of Computer Science, Landmark University, Kwara-State, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
| | - Olayinka Ajani
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ogun State, Km 10 Idiroko Road, P.M.B. 1023, Nigeria
- Department of Chemistry, Covenant University, Ogun State, Km 10 Idiroko Road, P.M.B. 1023, Ota, Nigeria
| | - Enock Matovu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Olawole Obembe
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ogun State, Km 10 Idiroko Road, P.M.B. 1023, Nigeria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Covenant University, Ogun State, Km 10 Idiroko Road, P.M.B. 1023, Ota, Nigeria
| | - Yvonne Ajamma
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ogun State, Km 10 Idiroko Road, P.M.B. 1023, Nigeria
| | - Gaston Kuzamunu
- African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cape Town, 7945, South Africa
- Department of Pathology, Division of Human Genetics, University of Cape Town, IDM, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Computational Biology Division, University of Cape Town, Observatory, 7925, South Africa
| | - Samson Pandam Salifu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Jonathan Kayondo
- Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Alia Benkahla
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Laboratory (LR16IPT09), Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Ezekiel Adebiyi
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ogun State, Km 10 Idiroko Road, P.M.B. 1023, Nigeria
- Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Covenant University, Ogun State, Km 10 Idiroko Road, P.M.B. 1023, Ota, Nigeria
- Division of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), G200, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
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12
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Lester JD, Vigilant L, Gratton P, McCarthy MS, Barratt CD, Dieguez P, Agbor A, Álvarez-Varona P, Angedakin S, Ayimisin EA, Bailey E, Bessone M, Brazzola G, Chancellor R, Cohen H, Danquah E, Deschner T, Egbe VE, Eno-Nku M, Goedmakers A, Granjon AC, Head J, Hedwig D, Hernandez-Aguilar RA, Jeffery KJ, Jones S, Junker J, Kadam P, Kaiser M, Kalan AK, Kehoe L, Kienast I, Langergraber KE, Lapuente J, Laudisoit A, Lee K, Marrocoli S, Mihindou V, Morgan D, Muhanguzi G, Neil E, Nicholl S, Orbell C, Ormsby LJ, Pacheco L, Piel A, Robbins MM, Rundus A, Sanz C, Sciaky L, Siaka AM, Städele V, Stewart F, Tagg N, Ton E, van Schijndel J, Vyalengerera MK, Wessling EG, Willie J, Wittig RM, Yuh YG, Yurkiw K, Zuberbuehler K, Boesch C, Kühl HS, Arandjelovic M. Recent genetic connectivity and clinal variation in chimpanzees. Commun Biol 2021; 4:283. [PMID: 33674780 PMCID: PMC7935964 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01806-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Much like humans, chimpanzees occupy diverse habitats and exhibit extensive behavioural variability. However, chimpanzees are recognized as a discontinuous species, with four subspecies separated by historical geographic barriers. Nevertheless, their range-wide degree of genetic connectivity remains poorly resolved, mainly due to sampling limitations. By analyzing a geographically comprehensive sample set amplified at microsatellite markers that inform recent population history, we found that isolation by distance explains most of the range-wide genetic structure of chimpanzees. Furthermore, we did not identify spatial discontinuities corresponding with the recognized subspecies, suggesting that some of the subspecies-delineating geographic barriers were recently permeable to gene flow. Substantial range-wide genetic connectivity is consistent with the hypothesis that behavioural flexibility is a salient driver of chimpanzee responses to changing environmental conditions. Finally, our observation of strong local differentiation associated with recent anthropogenic pressures portends future loss of critical genetic diversity if habitat fragmentation and population isolation continue unabated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack D Lester
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Linda Vigilant
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paolo Gratton
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Maureen S McCarthy
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christopher D Barratt
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paula Dieguez
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anthony Agbor
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paula Álvarez-Varona
- Jane Goodall Institute Spain and Senegal, Dindefelo Biological Station, Dindefelo, Kedougou, Senegal
| | - Samuel Angedakin
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Emma Bailey
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mattia Bessone
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gregory Brazzola
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Rebecca Chancellor
- West Chester University, Depts of Anthropology & Sociology and Psychology, West Chester, PA, USA
| | - Heather Cohen
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Emmanuel Danquah
- Department of Wildlife and Range Management, Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Villard Ebot Egbe
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | - Anne-Céline Granjon
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Josephine Head
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daniela Hedwig
- Elephant Listening Project, Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - R Adriana Hernandez-Aguilar
- Jane Goodall Institute Spain and Senegal, Dindefelo Biological Station, Dindefelo, Kedougou, Senegal
- Department of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kathryn J Jeffery
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Sorrel Jones
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jessica Junker
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Michael Kaiser
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ammie K Kalan
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Laura Kehoe
- Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ivonne Kienast
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kevin E Langergraber
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, 900 Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287 Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Juan Lapuente
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
- Comoé Chimpanzee Conservation Project, Comoé National Park, Kakpin, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Anne Laudisoit
- Ecohealth Alliance, New York, NY, USA
- University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, lokaal D.133, Universiteitsplein 1 - 2610, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Kevin Lee
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sergio Marrocoli
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Vianet Mihindou
- Agence National des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN) Batterie 4, Libreville, Gabon
- Ministère des Eaux, des Forêts, de la Mer, de l'Environnement, Chargé du Plan Climat, des Objectifs de Développement Durable et du Plan d'Affectation des Terres, Libreville, Gabon
| | - David Morgan
- Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Emily Neil
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sonia Nicholl
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Lucy Jayne Ormsby
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Liliana Pacheco
- Jane Goodall Institute Spain and Senegal, Dindefelo Biological Station, Dindefelo, Kedougou, Senegal
| | - Alex Piel
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Martha M Robbins
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Aaron Rundus
- West Chester University, Department of Psychology, West Chester, PA, USA
| | - Crickette Sanz
- Washington University in Saint Louis, Department of Anthropology, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Lilah Sciaky
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alhaji M Siaka
- National Protected Area Authority, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Veronika Städele
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Fiona Stewart
- School of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Nikki Tagg
- KMDA, Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Els Ton
- Chimbo Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Erin G Wessling
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jacob Willie
- KMDA, Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Roman M Wittig
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Yisa Ginath Yuh
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kyle Yurkiw
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
- Pan Verus Project Outamba-Kilimi National Park, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Klaus Zuberbuehler
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- Université de Neuchâtel, Institut de Biologie, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Christophe Boesch
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hjalmar S Kühl
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mimi Arandjelovic
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVAN), Leipzig, Germany.
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13
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Bleasdale M, Richter KK, Janzen A, Brown S, Scott A, Zech J, Wilkin S, Wang K, Schiffels S, Desideri J, Besse M, Reinold J, Saad M, Babiker H, Power RC, Ndiema E, Ogola C, Manthi FK, Zahir M, Petraglia M, Trachsel C, Nanni P, Grossmann J, Hendy J, Crowther A, Roberts P, Goldstein ST, Boivin N. Ancient proteins provide evidence of dairy consumption in eastern Africa. Nat Commun 2021; 12:632. [PMID: 33504791 PMCID: PMC7841170 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20682-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Consuming the milk of other species is a unique adaptation of Homo sapiens, with implications for health, birth spacing and evolution. Key questions nonetheless remain regarding the origins of dairying and its relationship to the genetically-determined ability to drink milk into adulthood through lactase persistence (LP). As a major centre of LP diversity, Africa is of significant interest to the evolution of dairying. Here we report proteomic evidence for milk consumption in ancient Africa. Using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) we identify dairy proteins in human dental calculus from northeastern Africa, directly demonstrating milk consumption at least six millennia ago. Our findings indicate that pastoralist groups were drinking milk as soon as herding spread into eastern Africa, at a time when the genetic adaptation for milk digestion was absent or rare. Our study links LP status in specific ancient individuals with direct evidence for their consumption of dairy products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Bleasdale
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, King's Manor, Exhibition Square, York, YO1 7EP, UK.
| | - Kristine K Richter
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Anneke Janzen
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Samantha Brown
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Ashley Scott
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Jana Zech
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Shevan Wilkin
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Ke Wang
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Stephan Schiffels
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Jocelyne Desideri
- Laboratory of Prehistoric Archaeology and Anthropology, Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, Université de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marie Besse
- Laboratory of Prehistoric Archaeology and Anthropology, Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, Université de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jacques Reinold
- Section française de la Direction des antiquités du Soudan, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Mohamed Saad
- National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums of Sudan, M.Bolheim Bioarchaeology Laboratory, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Hiba Babiker
- Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Robert C Power
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- Institute for Pre-and Protohistoric Archaeology and Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Emmanuel Ndiema
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- Department of Earth Sciences, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Christine Ogola
- Department of Earth Sciences, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Fredrick K Manthi
- Department of Earth Sciences, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Muhammad Zahir
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan
| | - Michael Petraglia
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DA, USA
| | - Christian Trachsel
- Functional Genomics Center, University of Zurich/ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Nanni
- Functional Genomics Center, University of Zurich/ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Grossmann
- Functional Genomics Center, University of Zurich/ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jessica Hendy
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Alison Crowther
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Patrick Roberts
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Steven T Goldstein
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Nicole Boivin
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.
- School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DA, USA.
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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14
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Abstract
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Nature Reviews Genetics, we asked 12 leading researchers to reflect on the key challenges and opportunities faced by the field of genetics and genomics. Keeping their particular research area in mind, they take stock of the current state of play and emphasize the work that remains to be done over the next few years so that, ultimately, the benefits of genetic and genomic research can be felt by everyone. To celebrate the first 20 years of Nature Reviews Genetics, we asked 12 leading scientists to reflect on the key challenges and opportunities faced by the field of genetics and genomics. Amy L. McGuire is the Leon Jaworski Professor of Biomedical Ethics and Director of the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine. She has received numerous teaching awards at Baylor College of Medicine, was recognized by the Texas Executive Women as a Woman on the Move in 2016 and was invited to give a TedMed talk titled “There is No Genome for the Human Spirit” in 2014. In 2020, she was elected as a Hastings Center Fellow. Her research focuses on ethical and policy issues related to emerging technologies, with a particular focus on genomic research, personalized medicine and the clinical integration of novel neurotechnologies. Stacey Gabriel is the Senior Director of the Genomics Platform at the Broad Institute since 2012 and has led platform development, execution and operation since its founding. She is Chair of Institute Scientists and serves on the institute’s executive leadership team. She is widely recognized as a leader in genomic technology and project execution. She has led the Broad’s contributions to numerous flagship projects in human genetics, including the International HapMap Project, the 1000 Genomes Project, The Cancer Genome Atlas, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Exome Sequencing Project and the TOPMed programme. She is Principal Investigator of the Broad’s All of Us (AoU) Genomics Center and serves on the AoU Program Steering Committee. Sarah A. Tishkoff is the David and Lyn Silfen University Associate Professor in Genetics and Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, and holds appointments in the School of Medicine and the School of Arts and Sciences. She is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences and a recipient of an NIH Pioneer Award, a David and Lucile Packard Career Award, a Burroughs/Wellcome Fund Career Award and an American Society of Human Genetics Curt Stern Award. Her work focuses on genomic variation in Africa, human evolutionary history, the genetic basis of adaptation and phenotypic variation in Africa, and the genetic basis of susceptibility to infectious disease in Africa. Ambroise Wonkam is Professor of Medical Genetics, Director of GeneMAP (Genetic Medicine of African Populations Research Centre) and Deputy Dean Research in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa. He has successfully led numerous NIH- and Wellcome Trust-funded projects over the past decade to investigate clinical variability in sickle cell disease, hearing impairment genetics and the return of individual findings in genetic research in Africa. He won the competitive Clinical Genetics Society International Award for 2014 from the British Society of Genetic Medicine. He is president of the African Society of Human Genetics. Aravinda Chakravarti is Director of the Center for Human Genetics and Genomics, the Muriel G. and George W. Singer Professor of Neuroscience and Physiology, and Professor of Medicine at New York University School of Medicine. He is an elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the US National Academy of Medicine and the Indian National Science Academy. He has been a key participant in the Human Genome Project, the International HapMap Project and the 1000 Genomes Project. His research attempts to understand the molecular basis of multifactorial disease. He was awarded the 2013 William Allan Award by the American Society of Human Genetics and the 2018 Chen Award by the Human Genome Organization. Eileen E. M. Furlong is Head of the Genome Biology Department at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and a member of the EMBL Directorate. She is an elected member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and the Academia Europaea, and a European Research Council (ERC) advanced investigator. Her group dissects fundamental principles of how the genome is regulated and how it drives cell fate decisions during embryonic development, including how developmental enhancers are organized and function within the 3D nucleus. Her work combines genetics, (single-cell) genomics, imaging and computational approaches to understand these processes. Her research has advanced the development of genomic methods for use in complex multicellular organisms. Barbara Treutlein is Associate Professor of Quantitative Developmental Biology in the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering of ETH Zurich in Basel, Switzerland. Her group uses and develops single-cell genomics approaches in combination with stem cell-based 2D and 3D culture systems to study how human organs develop and regenerate and how cell fate is regulated. For her work, Barbara has received multiple awards, including the Friedmund Neumann Prize of the Schering Foundation, the Dr. Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator of the International Society of Stem Cell Research and the EMBO Young Investigator Award. Alexander Meissner is a scientific member of the Max Planck Society and currently Managing Director of the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Molecular Genetics in Berlin, Germany. He heads the Department of Genome Regulation and is a visiting scientist in the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University. Before his move to the MPI, he was a tenured professor at Harvard University and a senior associate member of the Broad Institute, where he co-directed the epigenomics programme. In 2018, he was elected as an EMBO member. His laboratory uses genomic tools to study developmental and disease biology with a particular focus on epigenetic regulation. Howard Y. Chang is the Virginia and D. K. Ludwig Professor of Cancer Genomics at Stanford University and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He is a physician–scientist who has focused on deciphering the hidden information in the non-coding genome. His laboratory is best known for studies of long non-coding RNAs in gene regulation and development of new epigenomic technologies. He is an elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the US National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Núria López-Bigas is ICREA research Professor at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine and Associate Professor at the University Pompeu Fabra. She obtained an ERC Consolidator Grant in 2015 and was elected as an EMBO member in 2016. Her work has been recognized with the prestigious Banc de Sabadell Award for Research in Biomedicine, the Catalan National Award for Young Research Talent and the Career Development Award from the Human Frontier Science Program. Her research focuses on the identification of cancer driver mutations, genes and pathways across tumour types and in understanding the mutational processes that lead to the accumulation of mutations in cancer cells. Eran Segal is Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at the Weizmann Institute of Science, heading a multidisciplinary laboratory with extensive experience in machine learning, computational biology and analysis of heterogeneous high-throughput genomic data. His research focuses on the microbiome, nutrition and genetics, and their effect on health and disease and aims to develop personalized medicine based on big data from human cohorts. He has published more than 150 publications and received several awards and honours for his work, including the Overton and the Michael Bruno awards. He was recently elected as an EMBO member and as a member of the Israel Young Academy. Jin-Soo Kim is Director of the Center for Genome Engineering in the Institute for Basic Science in Daejon, South Korea. He has received numerous awards, including the 2017 Asan Award in Medicine, the 2017 Yumin Award in Science and the 2019 Research Excellence Award (Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists). He was featured as one of ten Science Stars of East Asia in Nature (558, 502–510 (2018)) and has been recognized as a highly cited researcher by Clarivate Analytics since 2018. His work focuses on developing tools for genome editing in biomedical research.
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