Why were Guanches robust but berbers aren’t?

**~~E1b1b~~** · 12-05-2021, 01:17 AM

https://ancestralwhispers.org/reconstructions/guanche

They have very similar autosomal dna and are closely related but Guanches strongly exhibited more robust features compared to their Berber cousins. How can populations so closely related be different in phenotype?

**~~Cristiano viejo~~** · 12-05-2021, 01:25 AM

You are comparing apples with pears. Guanches were cousins of ancient Berbers, not current ones who are highly mixed with blacks.

**~~E1b1b~~** · 12-05-2021, 02:47 AM

Originally Posted by Cristiano viejo

You are comparing apples with pears. Guanches were cousins of ancient Berbers, not current ones who are highly mixed with blacks.

I don’t think the average Berber has significant sub Saharan admixture

**~~Cristiano viejo~~** · 12-05-2021, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by E1b1b

I don’t think the average Berber has significant sub Saharan admixture

25% more or less.

**Didac** · 12-06-2021, 03:51 PM

Gaunches are interesting people from the gedmatch kits I’ve seen they’re like about 75-85% purest Berber + 15-25% west euro

**Immanenz** · 12-06-2021, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by Didac

Gaunches are interesting people from the gedmatch kits I’ve seen they’re like about 75-85% purest Berber + 15-25% west euro

and modern Berbers are admixed with what? Arabs etc.? How much? Would partially explain why they are so much graciler now

**Didac** · 12-06-2021, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by Immanenz

and modern Berbers are admixed with what? Arabs etc.? How much? Would partially explain why they are so much graciler now

They have a lot more east med I believe, so perhaps a little arab pull towards the east some normal North African dna all causing some graciliation. I’d imagine closest to how berbers would be without graciliation would be Zidane not pigment wise but just bone structure features

**Adamm** · 12-06-2021, 03:58 PM

Gracile phenotypes come from the Levant, Iberomaurusians and Capsians were pretty robust in comparing with the Levantine Natufians. North Africans got less robust by inter-mixing with Iberian Neolithic Farmers and probably also by mixing with eastern populations (Phoenicians/Arabs etc). Guanches probably looked the same as an average Berber from the Atlas or Rif, you'll probably also find gracile phenotypes within the Guanches.