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Kleisner K, Pokorný Š, Černý V. Sexually dimorphic traits are associated with subsistence strategy in African faces from the Sahel/Savannah belt. Am J Hum Biol 2024; 36:e24008. [PMID: 37897188 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24008] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Previous research revealed that in some African populations, food-production strategies are associated with facial shape. Nomadic pastoralists living in the African Sahel/Savannah belt have a different facial morphology than their sedentary neighbors. We investigated whether the lifestyle associated with a subsistence pattern has an impact on sexual dimorphism in the facial structure. METHODS We employed several methods from geometric morphometrics and demonstrated such effect in four ethnically distinct populations that share the same geographic space. RESULTS We show that the facial traits which correlate with a subsistence strategy are systematically associated with levels of facial sex-typicality. In particular, we found that faces with more pronounced pastoralist features have on average more masculine facial traits and that this effect is more pronounced in men than in women. CONCLUSIONS In general, though, the magnitude of overall facial dimorphism does not differ between pastoralists and farmers. Pastoralists (in contrast to farmers) tend to have a more masculine facial morphology but facial differences between the sexes are in both groups the same.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karel Kleisner
- Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Šimon Pokorný
- Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Viktor Černý
- Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
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D'Atanasio E, Risi F, Ravasini F, Montinaro F, Hajiesmaeil M, Bonucci B, Pistacchia L, Amoako-Sakyi D, Bonito M, Onidi S, Colombo G, Semino O, Destro Bisol G, Anagnostou P, Metspalu M, Tambets K, Trombetta B, Cruciani F. The genomic echoes of the last Green Sahara on the Fulani and Sahelian people. Curr Biol 2023; 33:5495-5504.e4. [PMID: 37995693 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.10.075] [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: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
The population history of the Sahara/Sahelian belt is understudied, despite previous work highlighting complex dynamics.1,2,3,4,5,6,7 The Sahelian Fulani, i.e., the largest nomadic pastoral population in the world,8 represent an interesting case because they show a non-negligible proportion of an Eurasian genetic component, usually explained by recent admixture with northern Africans.1,2,5,6,7,9,10,11,12 Nevertheless, their origins are largely unknown, although several hypotheses have been proposed, including a possible link to ancient peoples settled in the Sahara during its last humid phase (Green Sahara, 12,000-5,000 years before present [BP]).13,14,15 To shed light about the Fulani ancient genetic roots, we produced 23 high-coverage (30×) whole genomes from Fulani individuals from 8 Sahelian countries, plus 17 samples from other African groups and 3 from Europeans as controls, for a total of 43 new whole genomes. These data have been compared with 814 published modern whole genomes2,16,17,18 and with relevant published ancient sequences (> 1,800 samples).19 These analyses showed some evidence that the non-sub-Saharan genetic ancestry component of the Fulani might have also been shaped by older events,1,5,6 possibly tracing the Fulani origins to unsampled ancient Green Saharan population(s). The joint analysis of modern and ancient samples allowed us to shed light on the genetic ancestry composition of such ancient Saharans, suggesting a similarity with Late Neolithic Moroccans and possibly pointing to a link with the spread of cattle herding. We also identified two different Fulani clusters whose admixture pattern may be informative about the historical Fulani movements and their later involvement in the western African empires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia D'Atanasio
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Flavia Risi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Ravasini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Montinaro
- Department of Biology, University of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy; Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, 51010 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mogge Hajiesmaeil
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Letizia Pistacchia
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Italy; Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniel Amoako-Sakyi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Maria Bonito
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Onidi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Colombo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Ornella Semino
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Destro Bisol
- Department of Enviromental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Istituto Italiano di Antropologia, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Anagnostou
- Department of Enviromental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Mait Metspalu
- Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, 51010 Tartu, Estonia
| | | | - Beniamino Trombetta
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Fulvio Cruciani
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Italy; Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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Černý V, Priehodová E, Fortes-Lima C. A Population Genetic Perspective on Subsistence Systems in the Sahel/Savannah Belt of Africa and the Historical Role of Pastoralism. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030758. [PMID: 36981029 PMCID: PMC10048103 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
This review focuses on the Sahel/Savannah belt, a large region of Africa where two alternative subsistence systems (pastoralism and agriculture), nowadays, interact. It is a long-standing question whether the pastoralists became isolated here from other populations after cattle began to spread into Africa (~8 thousand years ago, kya) or, rather, began to merge with other populations, such as agropastoralists, after the domestication of sorghum and pearl millet (~5 kya) and with the subsequent spread of agriculture. If we look at lactase persistence, a trait closely associated with pastoral lifestyle, we see that its variants in current pastoralists distinguish them from their farmer neighbours. Most other (mostly neutral) genetic polymorphisms do not, however, indicate such clear differentiation between these groups; they suggest a common origin and/or an extensive gene flow. Genetic affinity and ecological symbiosis between the two subsistence systems can help us better understand the population history of this African region. In this review, we show that genomic datasets of modern Sahel/Savannah belt populations properly collected in local populations can complement the still insufficient archaeological research of this region, especially when dealing with the prehistory of mobile populations with perishable material culture and therefore precarious archaeological visibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Černý
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Letenská 1, 118 01 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Edita Priehodová
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Letenská 1, 118 01 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Cesar Fortes-Lima
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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Fortes-Lima C, Tříska P, Čížková M, Podgorná E, Diallo MY, Schlebusch CM, Černý V. Demographic and Selection Histories of Populations Across the Sahel/Savannah Belt. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6731090. [PMID: 36173804 PMCID: PMC9582163 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Sahel/Savannah belt harbors diverse populations with different demographic histories and different subsistence patterns. However, populations from this large African region are notably under-represented in genomic research. To investigate the population structure and adaptation history of populations from the Sahel/Savannah space, we generated dense genome-wide genotype data of 327 individuals-comprising 14 ethnolinguistic groups, including 10 previously unsampled populations. Our results highlight fine-scale population structure and complex patterns of admixture, particularly in Fulani groups and Arabic-speaking populations. Among all studied Sahelian populations, only the Rashaayda Arabic-speaking population from eastern Sudan shows a lack of gene flow from African groups, which is consistent with the short history of this population in the African continent. They are recent migrants from Saudi Arabia with evidence of strong genetic isolation during the last few generations and a strong demographic bottleneck. This population also presents a strong selection signal in a genomic region around the CNR1 gene associated with substance dependence and chronic stress. In Western Sahelian populations, signatures of selection were detected in several other genetic regions, including pathways associated with lactase persistence, immune response, and malaria resistance. Taken together, these findings refine our current knowledge of genetic diversity, population structure, migration, admixture and adaptation of human populations in the Sahel/Savannah belt and contribute to our understanding of human history and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar Fortes-Lima
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Petr Tříska
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Čížková
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eliška Podgorná
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Mame Yoro Diallo
- Archaeogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic,Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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Circum-Saharan Prehistory through the Lens of mtDNA Diversity. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13030533. [PMID: 35328086 PMCID: PMC8951852 DOI: 10.3390/genes13030533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
African history has been significantly influenced by the Sahara, which has represented a barrier for migrations of all living beings, including humans. Major exceptions were the gene flow events that took place between North African and sub-Saharan populations during the so-called African Humid Periods, especially in the Early Holocene (11.5 to 5.5 thousand years ago), and more recently in connection with trans-Saharan commercial routes. In this study, we describe mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity of human populations from both sides of the Sahara Desert, i.e., both from North Africa and the Sahel/Savannah belt. The final dataset of 7213 mtDNA sequences from 134 African populations encompasses 470 newly collected and 6743 previously published samples, which were analyzed using descriptive methods and Bayesian statistics. We completely sequenced 26 mtDNAs from sub-Saharan samples belonging to the Eurasian haplogroup N1. Analyses of these N1 mitogenomes revealed their possible routes to the Sahel, mostly via Bab el-Mandab. Our results indicate that maternal gene flow must have been important in this circum-Saharan space, not only within North Africa and the Sahel/Savannah belt but also between these two regions.
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