Reconstructing the population history of Nicaragua by means of mtDNA, Y‐chromosome STRs, and autosomal STR markers

Abstract

Before the arrival of the Spaniards in Nicaragua, diverse Native American groups inhabited the territory. In colonial times, Native Nicaraguan populations interacted with Europeans and slaves from Africa. To ascertain the extent of this genetic admixture and provide genetic evidence about the origin of the Nicaraguan ancestors, we analyzed the mitochondrial control region (HVSI and HVSII), 17 Y chromosome STRs, and 15 autosomal STRs in 165 Mestizo individuals from Nicaragua. To carry out interpopulation comparisons, HVSI sequences from 29 American populations were compiled from the literature. The results reveal a close relationship between Oto-manguean, Uto-Aztecan, Mayan groups from Mexico, and a Chibchan group to Nicaraguan lineages. The Native American contribution to present-day Nicaraguan Mestizos accounts for most of the maternal lineages, whereas the majority of Nicaraguan Y chromosome haplogroups can be traced back to a West Eurasian origin. Pairwise Fst distances based on Y-STRs between Nicaragua and European, African and Native American populations show that Nicaragua is much closer to Europeans than the other populations. Additionally, admixture proportions based on autosomal STRs indicate a predominantly Spanish contribution. Our study reveals that the Nicaraguan Mestizo population harbors a high proportion of European male and Native American female substrate. Finally, the amount of African ancestry is also interesting, probably because of the contribution of Spanish conquerors with North African genetic traces or that of West African slaves.

Paternal lineages signal distinct genetic contributions from British Loyalists and continental Africans among different Bahamian islands

“…The comparable distributions of the two most common haplogroups, E1b1a-M2 and R1b1b1-M269, in the Bahamian and other New World African populations, especially US African Americans (Table 3), may represent genetic signatures from similar ancestral sources and/or episodes of gene flow between the different countries within the region. The Long Island population, on the other hand, which possesses lower frequencies of E1b1a-M2 derived Y-chromosomes (23.3%) and a substantially higher proportion of R1b1b1-M269 lineages (58.1%), exhibits a genetic profile typical of several Latin American groups in the New World [e.g., African-Brazilians (Porto Alegre) (Hü nemeier et al, 2007) and Nicaraguans (Nuñ ez et al, 2010)], populations that are known to have been influenced by sex mediated gene flow from European males (Nuñ ez et al, 2010).…”

Mitochondrial DNA analysis suggests a Chibchan migration into Colombia

“…Post-bottleneck populations tend to reveal low genetic variability, and the original proportion of alleles in the general population may have changed considerably. There can be significant frequencies of African haplogroups within modern Colombian indigenous populations, especially in areas bordering the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, and some effects of genetic isolation can be seen through high frequencies of mtDNA haplogroup L, attributed to the results of the trans-Atlantic slave trade (Nuñez et al 2010). In contrast, northwestern Colombia reveals a high frequency of European Y chromosomes alongside a similarly high frequency of indigenous mtDNA (Carvajal-Carmona et al 2000).…”

DYS459, DYS391, DYS388 and DYS19 genetic loci have high allelic frequency in patients with prostate cancer

“…The Ychromosome is specific to the male portion of a malefemale DNA mixed such as is common in sexual assault cases. These STRs can also be useful in missing persons investigations, historical investigations, some paternity testing scenarios, and genetic genealogy (Carolina et al, 2010). Although they are often used to suggest which haplogroup an individual matches, STR analysis typically provides a person haplotype.…”

“…Although they are often used to suggest which haplogroup an individual matches, STR analysis typically provides a person haplotype. Most tests on the Y chromosome examine between 12 and 67 STR markers (Carolina et al, 2010). The Y chromosome is less variable than the other chromosomes.…”