Genetic study on North Africans

[Kamal900]

Genome-Wide and Paternal Diversity Reveal a Recent Origin of Human Populations in North Africa

PLoS One. 2013; 8(11): e80293.
Published online Nov 27, 2013.

"Early genetic studies have identified an Upper Paleolithic component in current northern African populations, and suggested that the Neolithic transition occurred through cultural diffusion [9], [10]. Studies using autosomal markers such as short tandem repeats (STRs), polymorphic Alu insertions, HLA class II polymorphisms, and GM and KM allotypes have shown close genetic affinity of North Africans to Eurasian populations and found evidence of gene flow from sub-Saharan populations [11]–[24]. Recent genome-wide analysis of North Africans found substantial shared ancestry with the Middle East, and to a lesser extent sub-Saharan Africa and Europe (see Figure S1 for a geographical description of the region). An autochthonous Maghrebi ancestry that increases from east to west across northern Africa was also identified. It was suggested that this ancestry likely derive from “back-to-Africa” gene flow more than 12,000 ya [25]. In addition, it has been suggested that recent gene flow between the Middle East and North Africa was probably promoted by shared cultures after the Islamic expansion, increasing genetic similarities between North Africans and Middle Easterners [26]. Interestingly, genome-wide analysis also shows that increased genetic diversity in Southern Europe, which is higher than in other regions of the continent, is a result of recent gene flow from North Africa [27]."

" In contrast to the Middle Eastern influence, studies have reported only limited contribution of sub-Saharan paternal lineages to the North African gene pool [39], [40]. Previous analyzes of mtDNA lineages in North African populations suggest significant Eurasian origins [41]–[43] with lineages dating back to Paleolithic times [41] and with recent gene flow from sub-Saharan Africa linked to slave trade [44]. mtDNA variations showed an East-West cline accompanied by a genetic discontinuity on the Libyan/Egyptian border, suggesting a differential gene flow in the Nile River Valley [45].\"

"The first two components account for 55.35% of the variation and reveal a strong geographical clustering of the populations analyzed (Figure 2A). The first component separates sub-Saharan Africans which have higher frequencies of B-M60 A-M91, E-M2, and E*-M96 haplogroups. The first component also shows clustering of the Europeans characterized by R*-M207 and I-M170 and Middle Easterners which have higher frequencies of E-M78, E-M123, J-M267, and J-M172. The second component separates all North African populations except Egyptians from all other populations and shows that E-M81 plays a major role in this structure. The Tuareg appear to be drawn towards sub-Saharans while Egyptians clustered with Middle Easterners close to Palestinians"

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3842387/bin/pone.0080293.g002.jpg
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3842387/figure/pone-0080293-g002/

"Genetic affinity between the studied groups was further investigated by calculating pairwise genetic distances (RST) using Y-STR haplotypes. The MDS (Figure 2B) shows a geographical clustering similar to the PCA. The first dimension splits the sub-Saharan Africans from all other populations. The North Africans cluster close to Middle Easterners with Tuareg drawn towards sub-Saharans and Egypt close to Palestinians."

"Results show significant variance among groups when Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia were pooled in one group and Libya, Tuareg, Egypt and the Middle East pooled in the second group. Variance among groups decreases but remains significant when Libyans and Tuareg are added to the first group. Conversely, significant differences between groups are lost when Egyptians are added to the North African group (Table S3). This result is also reflected in the PCA and MDS and shows Egypt's strong affinity to the Middle East rather than to North Africa."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3842387/bin/pone.0080293.g003.jpg

"PCA on genome-wide SNPs (Figure 4A) shows that North Africans are diverse and closer to Middle Easterners and Europeans than to Sub-Saharan Africans. Egyptians appear the closest to Middle Easterners and Europeans while South Moroccans are drawn towards Sub-Saharans. Tunisian samples (Chenini-Douiret Berbers) form an orthogonal cluster close but distinct from other North Africans which mostly appear in overlapping clusters."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3842387/bin/pone.0080293.g004.jpg
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3842387/figure/pone-0080293-g004/

"We constructed trees that infer population relationships using TreeMix [62]. This method estimates both population splits and the possibility of population mixture. First, we build a maximum-likelihood tree setting the position of the root at the Yoruba (Figure 4B). South Moroccans and Saharawi appear close to Yoruba while Egyptians are on a branch leading to Middle Easterners and Basque. Next, we set TreeMix to allow migration edges (m) and test by increasing m sequentially up to m = 20. The initial tree structure remains mostly unchanged when migration edges are added. All North Africans except Tunisians appear admixed from an ancestral population to Yoruba."

More --> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3842387/

Whats your opinion about the study?

[Tooting Carmen]

So Arabs had much more genetic impact than did Black Africans then?

[Kamal900]

So Arabs had much more genetic impact than did Black Africans then?

The study suggests that paternally Arabians contributed their genetic lineages(paternally) while Black africans contributed their genes more in the maternal side. My people seem to be the closest to Egyptians than to Syrians and Lebanese in both dimensions.

[Yuffayur]

So Arabs had much more genetic impact than did Black Africans then?

No, it's neolithic rather than Arab.

[Yuffayur]

I hope they will post a (new) macro study in Northern Africans, rather than one with Morocco S and Morocco N, which does not mean anything, I hope they will use regional samples like Atlassian, Middle atlassian, Oranian, Riffian, Kabyle, Chaouia, not a simple "Algeria" , "Tunisia", I hope they will do the same with Egypt, there are some studies in Eastern Africans and there are some samples from central and southern Egypt, btw the plots use Y-DNA distribution not admixture.

[Kamal900]

I hope they will post a (new) macro study in Northern Africans, rather than one with Morocco S and Morocco N, which does not mean anything, I hope they will use regional samples like Atlassian, Middle atlassian, Oranian, Riffian, Kabyle, Chaouia, not a simple "Algeria" , "Tunisia", I hope they will do the same with Egypt, there are some studies in Eastern Africans and there are some samples from central and southern Egypt, btw the plots use Y-DNA distribution not admixture.

What do you think of the PCA plot charts showing Egyptians being genetically the closest to us Palis than to other peoples? It would seem that Southern Moroccans have more SSA admixture than the northern ones, but i have seen one Mauritanian student in my class and he look very pale and caucasoid. Turegs seem to lean towards SSA because of black admixture in them(they are a mix between berbers and blacks).

[StonyArabia]

So Arabs had much more genetic impact than did Black Africans then?

It's neolithic, but the area with the greatest Arabian impact would be Libya. The Arabs had an impact on the paternal lineages, but this is more recent and traces to the 10th century, when the Shia Bedouin tribes invaded North Africa like the Banu Hilal. At this time time most of North Africa adhered to Shiaism, but the Zirid a Berber group broke away and became Sunnis, this angered the Fatamid Caliphs, so they enlisted the Banu Hial and other related Bedouin tribes to invade North Africa in this process. The Banu Hilal would be responsible for Arabization of North Africa, however due to being a minority they could not maintain their ethnic and sectarian affiliation, so they became assimilated with the numerous Berbers and became Sunnis themselves in the process but Arabization occured. Today the Banu Hilal influence is greatly found in culture, and to some extent bloodlines in Libya, as well the tribes that followed them. The more you go west the less the Arabian impact is, the more you go east it's more heavy.

[oblivion]

Wow so Egyptians are more near eastern than north african... Very interesting.. I plot with palis and even comes up as my top population in gedmatch along with bedouins. I am confused about libyans and the touareg tho.. How do they cluster more middle eastern?

[gold_fenix]

Oblivion you are copt not? Do copts are apart genetically of the common Egyptians?

[Isleño]

The study suggests that paternally Arabians contributed their genetic lineages(paternally) while Black africans contributed their genes more in the maternal side. My people seem to be the closest to Egyptians than to Syrians and Lebanese in both dimensions.It seems to match the findings by a commercial study from DNA Tribes. The autosomal breakdown of the North African component is described in many sources as an ancient back migration that is 20,000 years old, but also possibly some from later migrations. In the screenshots below, the Levantine/Arabian component is representative of this ancient Caucasoid back migration:

http://i60.tinypic.com/2cx97qg.jpg

http://i60.tinypic.com/2h6ca44.jpg

[Isleño]

So Arabs had much more genetic impact than did Black Africans then?
From all of the material I've seen on the North African component, it's a Caucasoid heavy component with the majority of it's ancestry from back migrations from the regions around the Levant, Egypt and Arabia from the mesolithic period (sort of the same pattern as Mesolithic European), but with some ancient admixture from Iberia. There are some recent admixtures from the ME, Iberia and SSA/East Af, but it seems to be small, most of the component is ancient in origin. SSA and East African admixtures are also small, but do seem to make up about 20% of the component, in which the vast majority of that is ancient.

[Kamal900]

From all of the material I've seen on the North African component, it's a Caucasoid heavy component with the majority of it's ancestry from back migrations from the regions around the Levant, Egypt and Arabia from the mesolithic period (sort of the same pattern as Mesolithic European), but with some ancient admixture from Iberia. There are some recent admixtures from the ME, Iberia and SSA/East Af, but it seems to be small, most of the component is ancient in origin. SSA and East African admixtures are also small, but do seem to make up about 20% of the component, in which the vast majority of that is ancient.

Thanks for the usefull information dude. Anyway, whats your opinion about the study?

[oblivion]

Oblivion you are copt not? Do copts are apart genetically of the common Egyptians?

I think copts are pretty much one in the same as the rest of egyptians.., if they are from the north they look different than southerners. However my personal ethno background is a mix of arabian and levantine so my profile is a little different

[oblivion]

Well doesnt this study pretty blow the afrocentric idea that egyptians were black out of the water?

[Kamal900]

Well doesnt this study pretty blow the afrocentric idea that egyptians were black out of the water?

Yes, and Egyptians are genetically natives to their lands as well, and the reason why they cluster with middle easterners and europeans the most is because they share a common ancestry, and they had cultural interaction with the Levant and middle east for thousands of years which lead to admixture with them.

[Isleño]

Thanks for the usefull information dude. Anyway, whats your opinion about the study?

You're welcome. As always, I contribute in hopes we can all learn from all the contributions from everyone. I think it's a decent study and is in tune with others on the subject.

[Yuffayur]

What do you think of the PCA plot charts showing Egyptians being genetically the closest to us Palis than to other peoples? It would seem that Southern Moroccans have more SSA admixture than the northern ones, but i have seen one Mauritanian student in my class and he look very pale and caucasoid. Turegs seem to lean towards SSA because of black admixture in them(they are a mix between berbers and blacks).

-I think the plots here are related to Y-Dna, Egypt is mostly E "40-60%" then J"20-40%" , Palestine mostly J"30-50" then E"25-35%" both are located Between the Berber (NWA group) and Mideast group, Tunisian used in the study were from Berbers Chenini-Douiret and they were 100% E-M81 and near you have Moroccans 75-90% E-M81 and Libyans and others NWA, while in the other part you have Mideastern with high J I don't know the exact percentages, you can see that Egypt and Palestine are between the two with Egypt more shifted with the E carriers and Palestine to J carriers, in the real life Egypt is wide I don't think that Deltans are rappresentative since they're not the majority in Egypt, I have seen some studies with Central and Southern Egypt and they appear very shifted with Sudanese and other EAs, anyway in PCA plot Egyptians can plot near Palestinians, Sudanese and Moroccans with no problem, PCA plot are not rappresentative since they use limited dimensions.

-Tuaregs are diverse some tribes are similar to other NA and some are fully SSA, they're very heterogeanous, that's why we should have more regional samples, Libyan Tuaregs have the highest percentage of H1(mt-dna) in the world 60-70% if I'm not wrong, this Tuareg for example will not be considered as SSA mixed.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Tuareg2.JPG


-Mauritania is diverse there is 3 categories, the Moors called "Beidhan" they are similar to Moroccans with minor SSA, they're about 25-30% of Mauritanians, then you have Hartanis who are basically 60-70% NA and 30-40% SSA, they're the major group in Mauritania I think 30-35% and the rest is mostly Tuaregs in the east, Blacks in the south and foreginers mostly Moroccans, Tunisians, Libyans and Lebanese.

-A last point the PLOT don't indicate the look, just compare the two teams:

Morocco:
http://www.theapricity.com/forum/showthread.php?98474-Classify-Morocco-s-U23-national-Team

Egypt:
http://www.theapricity.com/forum/showthread.php?98358-Classify-Egypt-s-U23-national-Team-quot-Hard-classification-quot

[Tooting Carmen]

The Moroccans look more Mulatto, the Egyptians look more like vaguely Black-admixed Pakistanis.

[Yuffayur]

It's neolithic, but the area with the greatest Arabian impact would be Libya. The Arabs had an impact on the paternal lineages, but this is more recent and traces to the 10th century, when the Shia Bedouin tribes invaded North Africa like the Banu Hilal. At this time time most of North Africa adhered to Shiaism, but the Zirid a Berber group broke away and became Sunnis, this angered the Fatamid Caliphs, so they enlisted the Banu Hial and other related Bedouin tribes to invade North Africa in this process. The Banu Hilal would be responsible for Arabization of North Africa, however due to being a minority they could not maintain their ethnic and sectarian affiliation, so they became assimilated with the numerous Berbers and became Sunnis themselves in the process but Arabization occured. Today the Banu Hilal influence is greatly found in culture, and to some extent bloodlines in Libya, as well the tribes that followed them. The more you go west the less the Arabian impact is, the more you go east it's more heavy.

Partly true, the Fatimids who were Kabyles that moved to Egypt wanted to destroy two dangiers in one drop, arabization is pre colonial , not due to Bnau hilal, and the J1 in Northern Africa is from a different clade than the Arabian one.

[Yuffayur]

Oblivion you are copt not? Do copts are apart genetically of the common Egyptians?

Yes she's copt, they're like other Egyptians with strong percentage of J1-J2 and A-B y-DNA.



Wow so Egyptians are more near eastern than north african... Very interesting.. I plot with palis and even comes up as my top population in gedmatch along with bedouins. I am confused about libyans and the touareg tho.. How do they cluster more middle eastern?

No Egypt is close to Tunisia.

[Yuffayur]

The Moroccans look more Mulatto, the Egyptians look more like vaguely Black-admixed Pakistanis.

I don't think so.

[Yuffayur]

Well doesnt this study pretty blow the afrocentric idea that egyptians were black out of the water?

Well Egypt in ancient times were more East African shifted.

[Yuffayur]

From all of the material I've seen on the North African component, it's a West Eurasian heavy component with the majority of it's ancestry from back migrations from the regions around the Levant, Egypt and Arabia from the mesolithic period (sort of the same pattern as Mesolithic European), but with some ancient admixture from Iberia. There are some recent admixtures from the ME, Iberia and SSA/East Af, but it seems to be small, most of the component is ancient in origin. SSA and East African admixtures are also small, but do seem to make up about 20% of the component, in which the vast majority of that is ancient.

fixed.

[StonyArabia]

I think copts are pretty much one in the same as the rest of egyptians.., if they are from the north they look different than southerners. However my personal ethno background is a mix of arabian and levantine so my profile is a little different

Yes Copts don't differ from their Muslim counter parts. Religion does not alter genetics. Egyptians were Egyptians.

[Kamal900]

The Moroccans look more Mulatto, the Egyptians look more like vaguely Black-admixed Pakistanis.

Not really. I mean, there are moroccans who are heavily SSA admixed, but many that i have seen in northern morocco when i have been there arent even remotely mulatto. My grand father's cousin and his morrocan wife and his half morrocan palestinian children dont look anywhere near mulatto:
http://www.theapricity.com/forum/showthread.php?155010-Classify-my-father-s-relative-and-his-family

I think it has more to do with the region of the country that plays a role in phenotypes and etc.

[Kamal900]

Yes Copts don't differ from their Muslim counter parts. Religion does not alter genetics. Egyptians were Egyptians.

Indeed it dosent, and i know many copts here in this country and they dont look any different from their muslim counterparts.

[Jerban]

The southern Moroccan is non sense, are the samples Sahrawis, Hratnas or Berbers ?
Algerian samples are weird I think there is a big diversity.

[Kamal900]

The southern Moroccan is non sense, are the samples Sahrawis, Hratnas or Berbers ?
Algerian samples are weird I think there is a big diversity.

Hmm, im not sure but i think its from the Sahrawi population or something. I think it does make sense concerning that southern moroccans are living in close approximation to SSA. Here's a chart showcasing admixture and ancestries of all NAs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3474783/table/pone-0047765-t001/

It says that moroccan southerners are 33 percent SSA admixed while the north are 11 percent.

[Jerban]

Hmm, im not sure but i think its from the Sahrawi population or something. I think it does make sense concerning that southern moroccans are living in close approximation to SSA. Here's a chart showcasing admixture and ancestries of all NAs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3474783/table/pone-0047765-t001/

It says that moroccan southerners are 33 percent SSA admixed while the north are 11 percent.

So I think they used an admixed population, probably Hratnas, because there is no was that High Atlas Berbers have 33% Subsaharan, I know plenty of them here, and I've bien to Agadir and people look not that Subsaharan.
Akhannouch is typical of Southern Atlassian Berbers.
http://lnt.ma/skin/uploads/2013/10/aziz-akhannouch.jpg

[Kamal900]

So I think they used an admixed population, probably Hratnas, because there is no was that High Atlas Berbers have 33% Subsaharan, I know plenty of them here, and I've bien to Agadir and people look not that Subsaharan.
Akhannouch is typical of Southern Atlassian Berbers.
http://lnt.ma/skin/uploads/2013/10/aziz-akhannouch.jpg

Hmm, good point. Anyway, what do you think about Egyptians clustering more closer to middle easterners(esp to us Palis) than to other NAs.

[Sikeliot]

So I think they used an admixed population, probably Hratnas, because there is no was that High Atlas Berbers have 33% Subsaharan, I know plenty of them here, and I've bien to Agadir and people look not that Subsaharan.
Akhannouch is typical of Southern Atlassian Berbers.
http://lnt.ma/skin/uploads/2013/10/aziz-akhannouch.jpg


IMO he looks Portuguese or southern Spanish.

[randomguy1235]

Hmm, good point. Anyway, what do you think about Egyptians clustering more closer to middle easterners(esp to us Palis) than to other NAs.

Well, which Egyptians did they sample (North or South)? And is it ancient admixture from the Levant that makes them cluster closer to us?

[Jerban]

Hmm, good point. Anyway, what do you think about Egyptians clustering more closer to middle easterners(esp to us Palis) than to other NAs.

It's normal, you have a lot of common ancestors, btw in dodecad project, Egyptians plot southern than Maghrebis.

[Jerban]

IMO he looks Portuguese or southern Spanish.

He's Southern Moroccan less than 100km from Western Sahara. His name is Aziz Akhannouch.

[Jerban]

Well, which Egyptians did they sample (North or South)? And is it ancient admixture from the Levant that makes them cluster closer to us?

Both are far in dodecad project. But according to the studies on DNA. Deltans are closer to you.

[Kamal900]

Well, which Egyptians did they sample (North or South)? And is it ancient admixture from the Levant that makes them cluster closer to us?

Im not sure which because i haven't read the samples of the Egyptians they took but its mostly likely north because the upper Egyptians live further away from the Levant and have more SSA admixture than the northerners. Yeah, Egypt and the southern Levant had connections and etc even from the earliest formation of Egypt where the Pharaoh, Narmer, established colony and trade links in Palestine. Egypt does have higher levantine admixture and etc than their contemporaries in the Maghreb region which made them cluster in the middle eastern branch rather than to NA one.

[wvwvw]

IMO he looks Portuguese or southern Spanish.

More like Mexican or Latin American

[MisterGaga]

;;;;;;;;;;;......

[Amun]

Egyptian input is very strong in the Levant, especially Palestine and Jordan.
I know that this fact bugs you, but it s the true.

[Damião de Góis]

IMO he looks Portuguese or southern Spanish.

Fucking rubbish.

[randomguy1235]

Egyptian input is very strong in the Levant, especially Palestine and Jordan.
I know that this fact bugs you, but it s the true.

No, it isn't. Maybe in Gaza and by Egyptian immigrants in Jordan, but genetically speaking you're wrong. Also, Gilgamesh is far from discriminatory towards Egyptians.

[Kamal900]

Egyptian input is very strong in the Levant, especially Palestine and Jordan.
I know that this fact bugs you, but it s the true.

Well, i don't have anything against Egyptians. Now, you have to understand that Egypt is close neighbor to the southern Levant, and there were trade between the two regions since the neolithic period. The study claims that the Egyptians belong to the same branch as to other ME's rather than to NA's like Moroccans and Algerians.

[Kamal900]

bump

[Kamal900]

Wow so Egyptians are more near eastern than north african... Very interesting.. I plot with palis and even comes up as my top population in gedmatch along with bedouins. I am confused about libyans and the touareg tho.. How do they cluster more middle eastern?

We are genetic cousins :thumb001:

[Numidia]

Wow so Egyptians are more near eastern than north african... Very interesting.. I plot with palis and even comes up as my top population in gedmatch along with bedouins. I am confused about libyans and the touareg tho.. How do they cluster more middle eastern?
Egyptians are more north african this study is weird

It's neolithic, but the area with the greatest Arabian impact would be Libya. The Arabs had an impact on the paternal lineages, but this is more recent and traces to the 10th century, when the Shia Bedouin tribes invaded North Africa like the Banu Hilal. At this time time most of North Africa adhered to Shiaism, but the Zirid a Berber group broke away and became Sunnis, this angered the Fatamid Caliphs, so they enlisted the Banu Hial and other related Bedouin tribes to invade North Africa in this process. The Banu Hilal would be responsible for Arabization of North Africa, however due to being a minority they could not maintain their ethnic and sectarian affiliation, so they became assimilated with the numerous Berbers and became Sunnis themselves in the process but Arabization occured. Today the Banu Hilal influence is greatly found in culture, and to some extent bloodlines in Libya, as well the tribes that followed them. The more you go west the less the Arabian impact is, the more you go east it's more heavy.

Waw what a ignorant ! Islam didn't change the indigenous population religions was spread by different people but not arabs who are not a racial ethnicity their numbers is insignificant

[Iloko]

Are North Africans genetically more Arab, Berber, or Jewish?