Evidence for archaic Asian ancestry on the human X chromosome

Daniel Garrigan, Zahra Mobasher, Tesa Severson, Jason A. Wilder, Michael F. Hammer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

74 Scopus citations

Abstract

The human RRM2P4 pseudogene has a pattern of nucleotide polymorphism that is unlike any locus published to date. A gene tree constructed from a 2.4-kb fragment of the RRM2P4 locus sequenced in a sample of 41 worldwide humans clearly roots in East Asia and has a most-recent common ancestor approximately 2 Myr before present. The presence of this basal lineage exclusively in Asia results in higher nucleotide diversity among non-Africans than among Africans. A global survey of a single-nucleotide polymorphism that is diagnostic for the basal, Asian lineage in 570 individuals shows that it occurs at frequencies up to 53% in south China, whereas only one of 177 surveyed Africans carries this archaic lineage. We suggest that this ancient lineage is a remnant of introgressive hybridization between expanding anatomically modern humans emerging from Africa and archaic populations in Eurasia.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)189-192
Number of pages4
JournalMolecular Biology and Evolution
Volume22
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2005

Keywords

  • Human origins
  • Hybridization
  • Polymorphism
  • Population subdivision
  • Pseudogene

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

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