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van Eeden G, Uren C, Pless E, Mastoras M, van der Spuy GD, Tromp G, Henn BM, Möller M. The recombination landscape of the Khoe-San likely represents the upper limits of recombination divergence in humans. Genome Biol 2022; 23:172. [PMID: 35945619 PMCID: PMC9361568 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02744-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recombination maps are important resources for epidemiological and evolutionary analyses; however, there are currently no recombination maps representing any African population outside of those with West African ancestry. We infer the demographic history for the Nama, an indigenous Khoe-San population of southern Africa, and derive a novel, population-specific recombination map from the whole genome sequencing of 54 Nama individuals. We hypothesise that there are no publicly available recombination maps representative of the Nama, considering the deep population divergence and subsequent isolation of the Khoe-San from other African groups. Results We show that the recombination landscape of the Nama does not cluster with any continental groups with publicly available representative recombination maps. Finally, we use selection scans as an example of how fine-scale differences between the Nama recombination map and the combined Phase II HapMap recombination map can impact the outcome of selection scans. Conclusions Fine-scale differences in recombination can meaningfully alter the results of a selection scan. The recombination map we infer likely represents an upper bound on the extent of divergence we expect to see for a recombination map in humans and would be of interest to any researcher that wants to test the sensitivity of population genetic or GWAS analysis to recombination map input. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13059-022-02744-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald van Eeden
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Caitlin Uren
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.,Centre for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa
| | - Evlyn Pless
- Department of Anthropology, Center for Population Biology and the Genome Center, University of California (UC) Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mira Mastoras
- Department of Anthropology, Center for Population Biology and the Genome Center, University of California (UC) Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Gian D van der Spuy
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.,Centre for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa.,SAMRC-SHIP South African Tuberculosis Bioinformatics Initiative (SATBBI), Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Gerard Tromp
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.,Centre for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa.,SAMRC-SHIP South African Tuberculosis Bioinformatics Initiative (SATBBI), Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Brenna M Henn
- Department of Anthropology, Center for Population Biology and the Genome Center, University of California (UC) Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Marlo Möller
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa. .,Centre for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa.
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2
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De Loma J, Vicente M, Tirado N, Ascui F, Vahter M, Gardon J, Schlebusch CM, Broberg K. Human adaptation to arsenic in Bolivians living in the Andes. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 301:134764. [PMID: 35490756 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Humans living in the Andes Mountains have been historically exposed to arsenic from natural sources, including drinking water. Enzymatic methylation of arsenic allows it to be excreted more efficiently by the human body. Adaptation to high-arsenic environments via enhanced methylation and excretion of arsenic was first reported in indigenous women in the Argentinean Andes, but whether adaptation to arsenic is a general phenomenon across native populations from the Andes Mountains remains unclear. Therefore, we evaluated whether adaptation to arsenic has occurred in the Bolivian Andes by studying indigenous groups who belong to the Aymara-Quechua and Uru ethnicities and have lived in the Bolivian Andes for generations. Our population genetics methods, including genome-wide selection scans based on linkage disequilibrium patterns and allele frequency differences, in combination with targeted and whole-genome sequencing and genotype-phenotype association analyses, detected signatures of positive selection near the gene encoding arsenite methyltransferase (AS3MT), the main arsenic methylating enzyme. This was among the strongest selection signals (top 0.5% signals via locus-specific branch length and extended haplotype homozygosity tests) at a genome-wide level in the Bolivian study groups. We found a large haplotype block of 676 kb in the AS3MT region and identified candidate functional variants for further analysis. Moreover, our analyses revealed associations between AS3MT variants and the fraction of mono-methylated arsenic in urine and showed that the Bolivian study groups had the highest frequency of alleles associated with more efficient arsenic metabolism reported so far. Our data support the idea that arsenic exposure has been a driver for human adaptation to tolerate arsenic through more efficient arsenic detoxification in different Andean populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica De Loma
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mário Vicente
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Noemi Tirado
- Genetics Institute, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia
| | - Franz Ascui
- Programa de Salud Familiar Comunitaria e Intercultural, Ministerio de Salud Bolivia, La Paz, Bolivia
| | - Marie Vahter
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jacques Gardon
- Hydrosciences Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Montpellier, France
| | - Carina M Schlebusch
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park, 2006, South Africa; SciLifeLab Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Broberg
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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3
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Oill AMT, Handley C, Howell EK, Stone AC, Mathew S, Wilson MA. Genomic analysis reveals geography rather than culture as the predominant factor shaping genetic variation in northern Kenyan human populations. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 178:488-503. [PMID: 36790743 PMCID: PMC9949739 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to characterize the genetic relationships within and among four neighboring ethnolinguistic groups in northern Kenya in light of cultural relationships to understand the extent to which geography and culture shape patterns of genetic variation. MATERIALS AND METHODS We collected DNA and demographic information pertaining to aspects of social identity and heritage from 572 individuals across the Turkana, Samburu, Waso Borana, and Rendille of northern Kenya. We sampled individuals across a total of nine clans from these four groups and, additionally, three territorial sections within the Turkana and successfully genotyped 376 individuals. RESULTS Here we report that geography predominately shapes genetic variation within and among human groups in northern Kenya. We observed a clinal pattern of genetic variation that mirrors the overall geographic distribution of the individuals we sampled. We also found relatively higher rates of intermarriage between the Rendille and Samburu and evidence of gene flow between them that reflect these higher rates of intermarriage. Among the Turkana, we observed strong recent genetic substructuring based on territorial section affiliation. Within ethnolinguistic groups, we found that Y chromosome haplotypes do not consistently cluster by natal clan affiliation. Finally, we found that sampled populations that are geographically closer have lower genetic differentiation, and that cultural similarity does not predict genetic similarity as a whole across these northern Kenyan populations. DISCUSSION Overall, the results from this study highlight the importance of geography, even on a local geographic scale, in shaping observed patterns of genetic variation in human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela M. Taravella Oill
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA,Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA
| | - Carla Handley
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA
| | - Emma K. Howell
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA,Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA
| | - Anne C. Stone
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA,School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA,Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Sarah Mathew
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA,Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA,Co-corresponding authors
| | - Melissa A. Wilson
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA,Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA,Co-corresponding authors
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4
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Vicente M, Lankheet I, Russell T, Hollfelder N, Coetzee V, Soodyall H, Jongh MD, Schlebusch CM. Male-biased migration from East Africa introduced pastoralism into southern Africa. BMC Biol 2021; 19:259. [PMID: 34872534 PMCID: PMC8650298 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01193-z] [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: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hunter-gatherer lifestyles dominated the southern African landscape up to ~ 2000 years ago, when herding and farming groups started to arrive in the area. First, herding and livestock, likely of East African origin, appeared in southern Africa, preceding the arrival of the large-scale Bantu-speaking agro-pastoralist expansion that introduced West African-related genetic ancestry into the area. Present-day Khoekhoe-speaking Namaqua (or Nama in short) pastoralists show high proportions of East African admixture, linking the East African ancestry with Khoekhoe herders. Most other historical Khoekhoe populations have, however, disappeared over the last few centuries and their contribution to the genetic structure of present-day populations is not well understood. In our study, we analyzed genome-wide autosomal and full mitochondrial data from a population who trace their ancestry to the Khoekhoe-speaking Hessequa herders from the southern Cape region of what is now South Africa. RESULTS We generated genome-wide data from 162 individuals and mitochondrial DNA data of a subset of 87 individuals, sampled in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, where the Hessequa population once lived. Using available comparative data from Khoe-speaking and related groups, we aligned genetic date estimates and admixture proportions to the archaeological proposed dates and routes for the arrival of the East African pastoralists in southern Africa. We identified several Afro-Asiatic-speaking pastoralist groups from Ethiopia and Tanzania who share high affinities with the East African ancestry present in southern Africa. We also found that the East African pastoralist expansion was heavily male-biased, akin to a pastoralist migration previously observed on the genetic level in ancient Europe, by which Pontic-Caspian Steppe pastoralist groups represented by the Yamnaya culture spread across the Eurasian continent during the late Neolithic/Bronze Age. CONCLUSION We propose that pastoralism in southern Africa arrived through male-biased migration of an East African Afro-Asiatic-related group(s) who introduced new subsistence and livestock practices to local southern African hunter-gatherers. Our results add to the understanding of historical human migration and mobility in Africa, connected to the spread of food-producing and livestock practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mário Vicente
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Imke Lankheet
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Thembi Russell
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nina Hollfelder
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vinet Coetzee
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - 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
| | - Michael De Jongh
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Carina M Schlebusch
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
- SciLife Lab, Uppsala, Sweden.
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5
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van Eeden G, Uren C, van der Spuy G, Tromp G, Möller M. Local ancestry inference in heterogeneous populations-Are recent recombination events more relevant? Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:6337894. [PMID: 34343255 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbab300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, numerous software tools have been developed to infer recombination maps. Many of these software tools infer the recombination rate from linkage disequilibrium, and therefore they infer recombination many generations into the past. Other recently developed methods rely on the inference of recent recombination events to determine the recombination rate, such as identity by descent- and local ancestry inference (LAI)-based tools. Methods that mainly use recent recombination events to infer the recombination rate might be more relevant for certain analyses like LAI. We therefore describe a protocol for creating high-resolution, population-specific recombination maps using methods that mainly use recent recombination events and a method that uses recent and distant recombination events for recombination rate inference. Subsequently, we compared the effect of using maps inferred by these two paradigms on LAI accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gian van der Spuy
- Department of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
| | - Gerard Tromp
- South African Tuberculosis Bioinformatics Initiative (SATBBI), South Africa
| | - Marlo Möller
- Department of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
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6
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African genetic diversity and adaptation inform a precision medicine agenda. Nat Rev Genet 2021; 22:284-306. [PMID: 33432191 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-020-00306-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The deep evolutionary history of African populations, since the emergence of modern humans more than 300,000 years ago, has resulted in high genetic diversity and considerable population structure. Selected genetic variants have increased in frequency due to environmental adaptation, but recent exposures to novel pathogens and changes in lifestyle render some of them with properties leading to present health liabilities. The unique discoverability potential from African genomic studies promises invaluable contributions to understanding the genomic and molecular basis of health and disease. Globally, African populations are understudied, and precision medicine approaches are largely based on data from European and Asian-ancestry populations, which limits the transferability of findings to the continent of Africa. Africa needs innovative precision medicine solutions based on African data that use knowledge and implementation strategies aligned to its climatic, cultural, economic and genomic diversity.
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7
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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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8
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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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9
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Sengupta D, Choudhury A, Fortes-Lima C, Aron S, Whitelaw G, Bostoen K, Gunnink H, Chousou-Polydouri N, Delius P, Tollman S, Gómez-Olivé FX, Norris S, Mashinya F, Alberts M, Hazelhurst S, Schlebusch CM, Ramsay M. Genetic substructure and complex demographic history of South African Bantu speakers. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2080. [PMID: 33828095 PMCID: PMC8027885 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22207-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
South Eastern Bantu-speaking (SEB) groups constitute more than 80% of the population in South Africa. Despite clear linguistic and geographic diversity, the genetic differences between these groups have not been systematically investigated. Based on genome-wide data of over 5000 individuals, representing eight major SEB groups, we provide strong evidence for fine-scale population structure that broadly aligns with geographic distribution and is also congruent with linguistic phylogeny (separation of Nguni, Sotho-Tswana and Tsonga speakers). Although differential Khoe-San admixture plays a key role, the structure persists after Khoe-San ancestry-masking. The timing of admixture, levels of sex-biased gene flow and population size dynamics also highlight differences in the demographic histories of individual groups. The comparisons with five Iron Age farmer genomes further support genetic continuity over ~400 years in certain regions of the country. Simulated trait genome-wide association studies further show that the observed population structure could have major implications for biomedical genomics research in South Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhriti Sengupta
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ananyo Choudhury
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Cesar Fortes-Lima
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Shaun Aron
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Gavin Whitelaw
- KwaZulu-Natal Museum, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- School of Geography, Archaeology & Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Koen Bostoen
- UGent Centre for Bantu Studies, Department of Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hilde Gunnink
- UGent Centre for Bantu Studies, Department of Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Natalia Chousou-Polydouri
- Department of Comparative Linguistic Science and Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Peter Delius
- Department of History, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Stephen Tollman
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - F Xavier Gómez-Olivé
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Shane Norris
- MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Felistas Mashinya
- Department of Pathology and Medical Sciences; School of Health Care Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Limpopo, Polokwane, South Africa
| | - Marianne Alberts
- Department of Pathology and Medical Sciences; School of Health Care Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Limpopo, Polokwane, South Africa
| | - Scott Hazelhurst
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Electrical and Information Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Carina M Schlebusch
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- SciLifeLab, Uppsala, Sweden
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Michèle Ramsay
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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10
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Coutinho A, Malmström H, Edlund H, Henshilwood CS, van Niekerk KL, Lombard M, Schlebusch CM, Jakobsson M. Later Stone Age human hair from Vaalkrans Shelter, Cape Floristic Region of South Africa, reveals genetic affinity to Khoe groups. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 174:701-713. [PMID: 33539553 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies show that the indigenous people of the southern Cape of South Africa were dramatically impacted by the arrival of European colonists starting ~400 years ago and their descendants are today mixed with Europeans and Asians. To gain insight on the occupants of the Vaalkrans Shelter located at the southernmost tip of Africa, we investigated the genetic make-up of an individual who lived there about 200 years ago. We further contextualize the genetic ancestry of this individual among prehistoric and current groups. From a hair sample excavated at the shelter, which was indirectly dated to about 200 years old, we sequenced the genome (1.01 times coverage) of a Later Stone Age individual. We analyzed the Vaalkrans genome together with genetic data from 10 ancient (pre-colonial) individuals from southern Africa spanning the last 2000 years. We show that the individual from Vaalkrans was a man who traced ~80% of his ancestry to local southern San hunter-gatherers and ~20% to a mixed East African-Eurasian source. This genetic make-up is similar to modern-day Khoekhoe individuals from the Northern Cape Province (South Africa) and Namibia, but in the southern Cape, the Vaalkrans man's descendants have likely been assimilated into mixed-ancestry "Coloured" groups. The Vaalkrans man's genome reveals that Khoekhoe pastoralist groups/individuals lived in the southern Cape as late as 200 years ago, without mixing with non-African colonists or Bantu-speaking farmers. Our findings are also consistent with the model of a Holocene pastoralist migration, originating in Eastern Africa, shaping the genomic landscape of historic and current southern African populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Coutinho
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Helena Malmström
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Hanna Edlund
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Christopher S Henshilwood
- SFF Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapienCE), University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Karen L van Niekerk
- SFF Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour (SapienCE), University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Marlize Lombard
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Carina M Schlebusch
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mattias Jakobsson
- Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala, Sweden
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11
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Pedro N, Pinto RJ, Cavadas B, Pereira L. Sub-Saharan African information potential to unveil adaptations to infectious disease. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:R138-R145. [PMID: 33461217 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sub-Saharan Africa is the most promising region of the world to conduct high-throughput studies to unveil adaptations to infectious diseases due to several reasons, namely, the longest evolving time-depth in the Homo sapiens phylogenetic tree (at least two-third older than any other worldwide region); the continuous burden of infectious diseases (still number one in health/life threat); and the coexistence of populations practising diverse subsistence modes (nomadic or seminomadic hunter-gatherers and agropastoralists, and sedentary agriculturalists, small urban and megacity groups). In this review, we will present the most up-to-date results that shed light on three main hypotheses related with this adaptation. One is the hypothesis of coevolution between host and pathogen, given enough time for the establishment of this highly dynamic relationship. The second hypothesis enunciates that the agricultural transition was responsible for the increase of the infectious disease burden, due to the huge expansion of the sedentary human population and the cohabitation with domesticates as main reservoirs of pathogens. The third hypothesis states that the boosting of our immune system against pathogens by past selection may have resulted in maladaptation of the developed hygienic societies, leading to an increase of allergic, inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. Further work will enlighten the biological mechanisms behind these main adaptations, which can be insightful for translation into diagnosis, prognosis and treatment interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Pedro
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,IPATIMUP - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ricardo J Pinto
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,IPATIMUP - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Bruno Cavadas
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,IPATIMUP - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Luisa Pereira
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.,IPATIMUP - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
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12
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Pakendorf B, Stoneking M. The genomic prehistory of peoples speaking Khoisan languages. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 30:R49-R55. [PMID: 33075813 PMCID: PMC8117426 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Peoples speaking so-called Khoisan languages-that is, indigenous languages of southern Africa that do not belong to the Bantu family-are culturally and linguistically diverse. They comprise herders, hunter-gatherers as well as groups of mixed modes of subsistence, and their languages are classified into three distinct language families. This cultural and linguistic variation is mirrored by extensive genetic diversity. We here review the recent genomics literature and discuss the genetic evidence for a formerly wider geographic spread of peoples with Khoisan-related ancestry, for the deep divergence among populations speaking Khoisan languages overlaid by more recent gene flow among these groups and for the impact of admixture with immigrant food-producers in their prehistory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Pakendorf
- Dynamique du Langage, UMR5596, CNRS & Université de Lyon, 14 avenue Berthelot, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Mark Stoneking
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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13
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Le Meillour L, Zirah S, Zazzo A, Cersoy S, Détroit F, Imalwa E, Lebon M, Nankela A, Tombret O, Pleurdeau D, Lesur J. Palaeoproteomics gives new insight into early southern African pastoralism. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14427. [PMID: 32879376 PMCID: PMC7468255 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71374-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The advent of domestication is a major step that transformed the subsistence strategies of past human societies. In Africa, domestic caprines (sheep and goat) were introduced in the north-eastern part of the continent from the Near East more than 9000 years ago. However, their diffusion southwards was slow. They are thought to have made their first appearance in the southern part of the continent ca. 2000 years ago, at a few Later Stone Age sites, including Leopard Cave (Erongo region, Namibia), which provided the oldest directly dated remains assigned to sheep or goat on the basis of morphology of bones and teeth. However, similarities in morphology, not only between these two domesticated caprine species, but also between them and the small wild antelopes, raised questions about the morphological species attribution of these remains. Additionally, the high fragmentation of the site's osteological remains makes it difficult to achieve species-level taxonomic identification by comparative anatomy. In this paper, we report molecular species identification of the Leopard Cave remains using palaeoproteomics, a method that uses protein markers in bone and tooth collagen to achieve taxonomic identification of archaeological remains. We also report new direct radiocarbon dates. Wild antelope remains from museum collections were used to enrich the available protein record and propose de novo type I collagen sequences. Our results demonstrate that the remains morphologically described as domesticates actually belong to a wild antelope species and that domestic caprines first appeared at Leopard Cave 1500 years later than previously thought. This study illustrates that the use of palaeoproteomics coupled with direct radiocarbon dates is particularly suited to complement classic zooarchaeological studies, in this case concerning the arrival of the first herding practices in arid environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Le Meillour
- UMR 7209 Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements (AASPE), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, 55 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.
- UMR 7245 Molécules de Communication et Adaptations des Microorganismes (MCAM), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, 63 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Séverine Zirah
- UMR 7245 Molécules de Communication et Adaptations des Microorganismes (MCAM), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, 63 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Zazzo
- UMR 7209 Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements (AASPE), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, 55 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Cersoy
- USR 3224 Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation (CRCC), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Ministère de la Culture, 36 rue Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Florent Détroit
- UMR 7194 Histoire naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, UPVD, 1 rue René Panhard, 75013, Paris, France
| | | | - Matthieu Lebon
- UMR 7194 Histoire naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, UPVD, 1 rue René Panhard, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Alma Nankela
- National Heritage Council of Namibia, 153 Dr. AB May and Rev. Michael Scott streets, Ausspannplatz, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Olivier Tombret
- UMR 7209 Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements (AASPE), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, 55 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
- UMR 7194 Histoire naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, UPVD, 1 rue René Panhard, 75013, Paris, France
| | - David Pleurdeau
- UMR 7194 Histoire naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique (HNHP), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, UPVD, 1 rue René Panhard, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Joséphine Lesur
- UMR 7209 Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements (AASPE), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, 55 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.
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14
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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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