Ottoni Claudio, Martínez-Labarga Cristina, Loogväli Eva-Liis, Pennarun Erwan, Achilli Alessandro, De Angelis Flavio, Trucchi Emiliano, Contini Irene, Biondi Gianfranco, Rickards Olga
Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, Rome, Italy.
Ann Hum Genet. 2009 Jul;73(Pt 4):438-48. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-1809.2009.00526.x. Epub 2009 May 20.
The Tuaregs are a semi-nomadic pastoralist people of northwest Africa. Their origins are still a matter of debate due to the scarcity of genetic and historical data. Here we report the first data on the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genetic characterization of a Tuareg sample from Fezzan (Libyan Sahara). A total of 129 individuals from two villages in the Acacus region were genetically analysed. Both the hypervariable regions and the coding region of mtDNA were investigated. Phylogeographic investigation was carried out in order to reconstruct human migratory shifts in central Sahara, and to shed light on the origin of the Libyan Tuaregs. Our results clearly show low genetic diversity in the sample, possibly due to genetic drift and founder effect associated with the separation of Libyan Tuaregs from an ancestral population. Furthermore, the maternal genetic pool of the Libyan Tuaregs is characterized by a major "European" component shared with the Berbers that could be traced to the Iberian Peninsula, as well as a minor 'south Saharan' contribution possibly linked to both Eastern African and Near Eastern populations.
图阿雷格人是生活在非洲西北部的半游牧牧民。由于基因和历史数据匮乏，他们的起源仍是一个有争议的问题。在此，我们报告了来自费赞（利比亚撒哈拉）的图阿雷格样本线粒体DNA（mtDNA）基因特征的首批数据。对来自阿卡库斯地区两个村庄的129人进行了基因分析。研究了mtDNA的高变区和编码区。开展了系统地理学调查，以重建撒哈拉中部人类的迁徙变化，并阐明利比亚图阿雷格人的起源。我们的结果清楚地表明，该样本的基因多样性较低，这可能是由于与利比亚图阿雷格人从祖先群体中分离相关的基因漂变和奠基者效应。此外，利比亚图阿雷格人的母系基因库的特征是，与柏柏尔人共享一个主要的“欧洲”成分，该成分可追溯到伊比利亚半岛，以及一个可能与东非和近东人群有关的较小的“撒哈拉以南”成分。
