MtDNA Lineages and Race Mixing in Portugal

[Euclides]

1-Diversity of mtDNA lineages in Portugal: not a genetic edge of European variation. (SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN mtDNA IN PORTUGAL)

2-Mitochondrial DNA affinities at the Atlantic fringe of Europe

''An important gene flow from Africa was detected in the Atlantic Iberia. Specific sub-Saharan lineages appeared mainly restricted to southern Portugal, and could be attributed to historic Black slave trade in the area and to a probable Saharan Neolithic influence.''

[Euclides]

Annals of Human Genetics
Volume 64 Issue 6 Page 491 - November 2000
doi:10.1046/j.1469-1809.2000.6460491.x


Diversity of mtDNA lineages in Portugal: not a genetic edge of European variation
L. PEREIRA1, 2, M. J. PRATA1, 2 and A. AMORIM1, 2
The analysis of the hypervariable regions I and II of mitochondrial DNA in Portugal showed that this Iberian population presents a higher level of diversity than some neighbouring populations. The classification of the different sequences into haplogroups revealed the presence of all the most important European haplogroups, including those that expanded through Europe in the Palaeolithic, and those whose expansion has occurred during the Neolithic. Additionally a rather distinct African influence was detected in this Portuguese survey, as signalled by the distributions of haplogroups U6 and L, present at higher frequencies than those usually reported in Iberian populations. The geographical distributions of both haplogroups were quite different, with U6 being restricted to North Portugal whereas L was widespread all over the country. This seems to point to different population movements as the main contributors for the two haplogroup introductions. We hypothesise that the recent Black African slave trade could have been the mediator of most of the L sequence inputs, while the population movement associated with the Muslim rule of Iberia has predominantly introduced U6 lineages.