1
|
Boattini A, Bortolini E, Bauer R, Ottone M, Miglio R, Gueresi P, Pettener D. The surname structure of Trentino (Italy) and its relationship with dialects and genes. Ann Hum Biol 2021; 48:260-269. [PMID: 34459343 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2021.1936635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thanks to the availability of rich surname, linguistic and genetic information, together with its geographic and cultural complexity, Trentino (North-Eastern Italy) is an ideal place to test the relationships between genetic and cultural traits. AIM We provide a comprehensive study of population structures based on surname and dialect variability and evaluate their relationships with genetic diversity in Trentino. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Surname data were collected for 363 parishes, linguistic data for 57 dialects and genetic data for different sets of molecular markers (Y-chromosome, mtDNA, autosomal) in 10 populations. Analyses relied on different multivariate methods and correlation tests. RESULTS Besides the expected isolation-by-distance-like patterns (with few local exceptions, likely related to sociocultural instances), we detected a significant and geography-independent association between dialects and surnames. As for molecular markers, only Y-chromosomal STRs seem to be associated with the dialects, although no significant result was obtained. No evidence for correlation between molecular markers and surnames was observed. CONCLUSION Surnames act as cultural markers as do other words, although in this context they cannot be used as reliable proxies for genetic variability at a local scale.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Boattini
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BIGEA), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Eugenio Bortolini
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Roland Bauer
- Fachbereich Romanistik, Universität Salzburg, Austria
| | - Marta Ottone
- Epidemiology Unit, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Rossella Miglio
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Paola Gueresi
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Davide Pettener
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BIGEA), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Boattini A, Sarno S, Fiorani O, Lisa A, Luiselli D, Pettener D. Ripples on the surface. Surnames and genes in Sicily and Southern Italy. Ann Hum Biol 2018; 45:57-65. [PMID: 29183201 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2017.1411525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Southern Italy and Sicily played a key role in the peopling history of the Mediterranean. While genetic research showed the remarkable homogeneity of these regions, surname-based studies instead suggested low population mobility, hence potential structuring. AIM In order to better understand these different patterns, this study (1) thoroughly analysed the surname structure of Sicily and Southern Italy and (2) tested its relationships with a wide set of molecular markers. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Surname data were collected from 1213 municipalities and compared to uniparental and autosomal genetic markers typed in ∼300 individuals from 8-10 populations. Surname analyses were performed using different multivariate methods, while comparisons with genetic data relied on correlation tests. RESULTS Surnames were clearly structured according to regional geographic patterns, which likely emerged because of recent isolation-by-distance-like population dynamics. In general, genetic markers, hinting at a pervasive homogeneity, did not correlate with surname distribution. However, long autosomal haplotypes (>5 cM) that compared to genotypic (SNPs) data identify more "recent" relatedness, showing a clear association with surname patterns. CONCLUSION The apparent contradiction between surname structure and genetic homogeneity was resolved by figuring surnames as recent "ripples" deposited on a vast and ancient homogeneous genetic "surface".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Boattini
- a Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences , University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy
| | - Stefania Sarno
- a Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences , University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy
| | - Ornella Fiorani
- b Institute of Molecular Genetics (IGM) , Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) , Pavia , Italy
| | - Antonella Lisa
- b Institute of Molecular Genetics (IGM) , Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) , Pavia , Italy
| | - Donata Luiselli
- a Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences , University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy
| | - Davide Pettener
- a Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences , University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wiley AS, Cullin JM. What Do Anthropologists Mean When They Use the TermBiocultural? AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/aman.12608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea S. Wiley
- Department of Anthropology; Indiana University; Bloomington IN 47405
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sarno S, Tofanelli S, De Fanti S, Quagliariello A, Bortolini E, Ferri G, Anagnostou P, Brisighelli F, Capelli C, Tagarelli G, Sineo L, Luiselli D, Boattini A, Pettener D. Shared language, diverging genetic histories: high-resolution analysis of Y-chromosome variability in Calabrian and Sicilian Arbereshe. Eur J Hum Genet 2015; 24:600-6. [PMID: 26130483 PMCID: PMC4929864 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2015.138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Revised: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between genetic and linguistic diversification in human populations has been often explored to interpret some specific issues in human history. The Albanian-speaking minorities of Sicily and Southern Italy (Arbereshe) constitute an important portion of the ethnolinguistic variability of Italy. Their linguistic isolation from neighboring Italian populations and their documented migration history, make such minorities particularly effective for investigating the interplay between cultural, geographic and historical factors. Nevertheless, the extent of Arbereshe genetic relationships with the Balkan homeland and the Italian recipient populations has been only partially investigated. In the present study we address the genetic history of Arbereshe people by combining highly resolved analyses of Y-chromosome lineages and extensive computer simulations. A large set of slow- and fast-evolving molecular markers was typed in different Arbereshe communities from Sicily and Southern Italy (Calabria), as well as in both the putative Balkan source and Italian sink populations. Our results revealed that the considered Arbereshe groups, despite speaking closely related languages and sharing common cultural features, actually experienced diverging genetic histories. The estimated proportions of genetic admixture confirm the tight relationship of Calabrian Arbereshe with modern Albanian populations, in accordance with linguistic hypotheses. On the other hand, population stratification and/or an increased permeability of linguistic and geographic barriers may be hypothesized for Sicilian groups, to account for their partial similarity with Greek populations and their higher levels of local admixture. These processes ultimately resulted in the differential acquisition or preservation of specific paternal lineages by the present-day Arbereshe communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Sarno
- Laboratorio di Antropologia Molecolare, Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italia
| | | | - Sara De Fanti
- Laboratorio di Antropologia Molecolare, Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italia
| | - Andrea Quagliariello
- Laboratorio di Antropologia Molecolare, Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italia
| | - Eugenio Bortolini
- Laboratorio di Antropologia Molecolare, Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italia
| | - Gianmarco Ferri
- Dipartimento di Medicina Diagnostica, Clinica e di Sanità Pubblica, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italia
| | - Paolo Anagnostou
- Dipartimento Biologia Ambientale, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italia.,Istituto Italiano di Antropologia, Roma, Italia
| | - Francesca Brisighelli
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Sezione di medicina Legale-Istituto di Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italia
| | | | | | - Luca Sineo
- Dipartimento Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia
| | - Donata Luiselli
- Laboratorio di Antropologia Molecolare, Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italia
| | - Alessio Boattini
- Laboratorio di Antropologia Molecolare, Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italia
| | - Davide Pettener
- Laboratorio di Antropologia Molecolare, Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Messina F, Finocchio A, Rolfo MF, De Angelis F, Rapone C, Coletta M, Martínez-Labarga C, Biondi G, Berti A, Rickards O. Traces of forgotten historical events in mountain communities in Central Italy: A genetic insight. Am J Hum Biol 2015; 27:508-19. [PMID: 25728801 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Revised: 11/20/2014] [Accepted: 12/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Analysis of human genetic variation in mountain communities can shed light on the peopling of mountainous regions, perhaps revealing whether the remote geographic location spared them from outside invasion and preserved their gene pool from admixture. In this study, we created a model to assess genetic traces of historical events by reconstructing the paternal and maternal genetic history of seven small mountain villages in inland valleys of Central Italy. METHODS The communities were selected for their geographic isolation, attested biodemographic stability, and documented history prior to the Roman conquest. We studied the genetic structure by analyzing two hypervariable segments (HVS-I and HVS-II) of the mtDNA D-loop and several informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the mtDNA coding region in 346 individuals, in addition to 17 short tandem repeats (STRs) and Y-chromosome SNPs in 237 male individuals. RESULTS For both uniparental markers, most of the haplogroups originated in Western Europe while some Near Eastern haplogroups were identified at low frequencies. However, there was an evident genetic similarity between the Central Italian samples and Near Eastern populations mainly in the male genetic pool. CONCLUSIONS The samples highlight an overall European genetic pattern both for mtDNA and Y chromosome. Notwithstanding this scenario, Y chromosome haplogroup Q, a common paternal lineage in Central/Western Asia but almost Europe-wide absent, was found, suggesting that Central Italy could have hosted a settlement from Anatolia that might be supported by cultural, topographic and genetic evidence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Messina
- Department of Biology, Center of Molecular Anthropology for ancient DNA study, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Via della Ricerca Scientifica n. 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Finocchio
- Department of Biology, Center of Molecular Anthropology for ancient DNA study, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Via della Ricerca Scientifica n. 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Federico Rolfo
- Department of Historical, Philosophical and Social Sciences, Cultural and Territory Heritage, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Via Columbia n. 1, 00173, Rome, Italy
| | - Flavio De Angelis
- Department of Biology, Center of Molecular Anthropology for ancient DNA study, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Via della Ricerca Scientifica n. 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Cesare Rapone
- Carabinieri, Scientific Investigation Department, Viale di Tor di Quinto 151, 00191, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Coletta
- Department of Biology, Center of Molecular Anthropology for ancient DNA study, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Via della Ricerca Scientifica n. 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Martínez-Labarga
- Department of Biology, Center of Molecular Anthropology for ancient DNA study, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Via della Ricerca Scientifica n. 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Biondi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67010, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Andrea Berti
- Carabinieri, Scientific Investigation Department, Viale di Tor di Quinto 151, 00191, Rome, Italy
| | - Olga Rickards
- Department of Biology, Center of Molecular Anthropology for ancient DNA study, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Via della Ricerca Scientifica n. 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Di Sanzo P, De Martino L, Mancini E, Feo VD. Medicinal and useful plants in the tradition of Rotonda, Pollino National Park, Southern Italy. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2013; 9:19. [PMID: 23522331 PMCID: PMC3621777 DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-9-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2012] [Accepted: 03/11/2013] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This paper reports an ethnobotanical survey of the traditional uses of medicinal and useful plants in an area of the Pollino National Park, Basilicata, Southern Italy. The study, conducted between 2009 and 2010, gathered information on the medicinal plants traditionally used in the neighbourhood of town of Rotonda, in the Pollino National Park, that appears have very rich and interesting ethnopharmacological traditions. METHODS In all, we interviewed 120 key informants, whose age ranged between 50 and 95 years. RESULTS The research resulted to the identification of 78 medicinal plants belonging to 46 families. Among the species reported, 59 are used in human medicine, 18 for domestic use, 8 in veterinary medicine. Several plants have been reported in previous studies, but with different uses, or never reported. CONCLUSIONS Data obtained showed that in the studied area the folk use of plants is alive and still derives from daily practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola Di Sanzo
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Via Ponte don Melillo, Fisciano, (Salerno) 84084, Italy
| | - Laura De Martino
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Via Ponte don Melillo, Fisciano, (Salerno) 84084, Italy
| | - Emilia Mancini
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Via Ponte don Melillo, Fisciano, (Salerno) 84084, Italy
| | - Vincenzo De Feo
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Via Ponte don Melillo, Fisciano, (Salerno) 84084, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Boattini A, Luiselli D, Sazzini M, Useli A, Tagarelli G, Pettener D. Linking Italy and the Balkans. A Y-chromosome perspective from the Arbereshe of Calabria. Ann Hum Biol 2010; 38:59-68. [PMID: 20569043 DOI: 10.3109/03014460.2010.491837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Arbereshe are an Albanian-speaking ethno-linguistic minority who settled in Calabria (southern Italy) about five centuries ago. AIM This study aims to clarify the genetic relationships between Italy and the Balkans through analysis of Y-chromosome variability in a peculiar case study, the Arbereshe. SUBJECT AND METHODS Founder surnames were used as a means to identify a sample of individuals that might trace back to the Albanians at the time of their establishment in Italy. These results were compared with data of more than 1000 individuals from Italy and the Balkans. RESULTS The distributions of haplogroups (defined using 31 UEPs) and haplotypes (12 STRs) show that the Italian and Balkan populations are clearly divergent from each other. Within this genetic landscape, the Arbereshe are characterized by two peculiarities: (a) they are a clear outlier in the Italian genetic background, showing a strong genetic affinity with southern Balkans populations; and (b) they retain a high degree of genetic diversity. CONCLUSION These results support the hypothesis that the surname-chosen Arbereshe are representative of the Y-chromosome genetic variability of the Albanian founder population. Accordingly, the Arbereshe genetic structure can contribute to the interpretation of the recent biological history of the southern Balkans. Intra-haplogroup analyses suggest that this area may have experienced important changes in the last five centuries, resulting in a marked increase in the frequency of haplogroups I2a and J2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Boattini
- Dipartimento di Biologia E.S., Area di Antropologia, Università di Bologna, Via Selmi 3, Bologna, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Boattini A, Pedrosi ME, Luiselli D, Pettener D. Dissecting a human isolate: Novel sampling criteria for analysis of the genetic structure of the Val di Scalve (Italian Pre-Alps). Ann Hum Biol 2010; 37:604-9. [DOI: 10.3109/03014460903555463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
|