Ancient Ethiopian genome reveals extensive Eurasian admixture throughout the African continent.

Bibliographic Collection: 
APE
Publication Type: Journal Article
Authors: Gallego Llorente, M; Jones, E R; Eriksson, A; Siska, V; Arthur, K W; Arthur, J W; Curtis, M C; Stock, J T; Coltorti, M; Pieruccini, P; Stretton, S; Brock, F; Higham, T; Park, Y; Hofreiter, M; Bradley, D G; Bhak, J; Pinhasi, R; Manica, A
Year of Publication: 2015
Journal: Science
Volume: 350
Issue: 6262
Pagination: 820-2
Date Published: 2015 Nov 13
Publication Language: eng
ISSN: 1095-9203
Keywords: African Continental Ancestry Group, Asia, Biological Evolution, Ethiopia, Europe, Genetic Variation, Genome, Human, Human Migration, Humans, Male
Abstract:

Characterizing genetic diversity in Africa is a crucial step for most analyses reconstructing the evolutionary history of anatomically modern humans. However, historic migrations from Eurasia into Africa have affected many contemporary populations, confounding inferences. Here, we present a 12.5× coverage ancient genome of an Ethiopian male ("Mota") who lived approximately 4500 years ago. We use this genome to demonstrate that the Eurasian backflow into Africa came from a population closely related to Early Neolithic farmers, who had colonized Europe 4000 years earlier. The extent of this backflow was much greater than previously reported, reaching all the way to Central, West, and Southern Africa, affecting even populations such as Yoruba and Mbuti, previously thought to be relatively unadmixed, who harbor 6 to 7% Eurasian ancestry.

DOI: 10.1126/science.aad2879
Alternate Journal: Science