Statistical Inference on Genetic Data Reveals the Complex Demographic History of Human Populations in Central Asia

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1411-1424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friso P. Palstra ◽  
Evelyne Heyer ◽  
Frédéric Austerlitz
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Statistical Inference ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Genetic Data ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
History Of

scholarly journals Genetic and linguistic histories in Central Asia inferred using approximate Bayesian computations

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1861) ◽  
pp. 20170706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentin Thouzeau ◽  
Philippe Mennecier ◽  
Paul Verdu ◽  
Frédéric Austerlitz
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Past History ◽  
Genetic Data ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Language Diversity ◽  
Methodological Framework ◽  
The Past ◽  
Approximate Bayesian ◽  
Future Work

Linguistic and genetic data have been widely compared, but the histories underlying these descriptions are rarely jointly inferred. We developed a unique methodological framework for analysing jointly language diversity and genetic polymorphism data, to infer the past history of separation, exchange and admixture events among human populations. This method relies on approximate Bayesian computations that enable the identification of the most probable historical scenario underlying each type of data, and to infer the parameters of these scenarios. For this purpose, we developed a new computer program PopLingSim that simulates the evolution of linguistic diversity, which we coupled with an existing coalescent-based genetic simulation program, to simulate both linguistic and genetic data within a set of populations. Applying this new program to a wide linguistic and genetic dataset of Central Asia, we found several differences between linguistic and genetic histories. In particular, we showed how genetic and linguistic exchanges differed in the past in this area: some cultural exchanges were maintained without genetic exchanges. The methodological framework and the linguistic simulation tool developed here can be used in future work for disentangling complex linguistic and genetic evolutions underlying human biological and cultural histories.

scholarly journals Inference and analysis of population-specific fine-scale recombination maps across 26 diverse human populations

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. eaaw9206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Spence ◽  
Yun S. Song
Keyword(s):  
Binding Sites ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Dna Binding Protein ◽  
Polycomb Group ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Polycomb Group Proteins ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Population Differences ◽  
Recombination Rates ◽  
History Of

Fine-scale rates of meiotic recombination vary by orders of magnitude across the genome and differ between species and even populations. Studying cross-population differences has been stymied by the confounding effects of demographic history. To address this problem, we developed a demography-aware method to infer fine-scale recombination rates and applied it to 26 diverse human populations, inferring population-specific recombination maps. These maps recapitulate many aspects of the history of these populations including signatures of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the Iberian colonization of the Americas. We also investigated modulators of the local recombination rate, finding further evidence that Polycomb group proteins and the trimethylation of H3K27 elevate recombination rates. Further differences in the recombination landscape across the genome and between populations are driven by variation in the gene that encodes the DNA binding protein PRDM9, and we quantify the weak effect of meiotic drive acting to remove its binding sites.

A Microsatellite-Based Multilocus Screen for the Identification of Local Selective Sweeps

Genetics ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 160 (2) ◽  
pp. 753-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Schlötterer
Keyword(s):  
Microsatellite Loci ◽  
Selective Sweep ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Selective Sweeps ◽  
Test Statistic ◽  
Data Set ◽  
History Of ◽  
Microsatellite Mutation ◽  
Genomic Regions

AbstractWith the availability of completely sequenced genomes, multilocus scans of natural variability have become a feasible approach for the identification of genomic regions subjected to natural and artificial selection. Here, I introduce a new multilocus test statistic, ln RV, which is based on the ratio of observed variances in repeat number at a set of microsatellite loci in two groups of populations. The distribution of ln RV values captures demographic history of the populations as well as variation in microsatellite mutation among loci. Given that microsatellite loci associated with a recent selective sweep differ from the remainder of the genome, they are expected to fall outside of the distribution of neutral ln RV values. The ln RV test statistic is applied to a data set of 94 loci typed in eight non-African and two African human populations.

scholarly journals A tutorial on how (not) to over-interpret STRUCTURE/ADMIXTURE bar plots

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J Lawson ◽  
Lucy van Dorp ◽  
Daniel Falush
Keyword(s):  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Clustering Algorithms ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Genetic Data ◽  
Inference Model ◽  
Robust Analysis ◽  
Genetic History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Genetic Clustering

AbstractGenetic clustering algorithms, implemented in popular programs such as STRUCTURE and ADMIXTURE, have been used extensively in the characterisation of individuals and populations based on genetic data. A successful example is the reconstruction of the genetic history of African Americans who are a product of recent admixture between highly differentiated populations. Histories can also be reconstructed using the same procedure for groups which do not have admixture in their recent history, where recent genetic drift is strong or that deviate in other ways from the underlying inference model. Unfortunately, such histories can be misleading. We have implemented an approach (badMIXTURE, available at github.com/danjlawson/badMIXTURE) to assess the goodness of fit of the model using the ancestry “palettes” estimated by CHROMOPAINTER and apply it to both simulated data and real case studies. Combining these complementary analyses with additional methods that are designed to test specific hypotheses allows a richer and more robust analysis of recent demographic history based on genetic data.

scholarly journals The timing of human adaptation from Neanderthal introgression

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sivan Yair ◽  
Kristin M. Lee ◽  
Graham Coop
Keyword(s):  
Demographic History ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Allele Frequencies ◽  
Population Divergence ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Human Adaptation ◽  
Adaptive Introgression ◽  
History Of ◽  
Spatio Temporal

AbstractAdmixture has the potential to facilitate adaptation by providing alleles that are immediately adaptive in a new environment or by simply increasing the long term reservoir of genetic diversity for future adaptation. A growing number of cases of adaptive introgression are being identified in species across the tree of life, however the timing of selection, and therefore the importance of the different evolutionary roles of admixture, is typically unknown. Here, we investigate the spatio-temporal history of selection favoring Neanderthal-introgressed alleles in modern human populations. Using both ancient and present-day samples of modern humans, we integrate the known demographic history of populations, namely population divergence and migration, with tests for selection. We model how a sweep placed along different branches of an admixture graph acts to modify the variance and covariance in neutral allele frequencies among populations at linked loci. Using a method based on this model of allele frequencies, we study previously identified cases of Neanderthal adaptive introgression. From these, we identify cases in which Neanderthal introgressed alleles were quickly beneficial and other cases in which they persisted at low frequency for some time. For some of the alleles that persisted at low frequency, we show that selection likely independently favored them later on in geographically separated populations. Our work highlights how admixture with ancient hominins has contributed to modern human adaptation, contextualizes observed levels of Neanderthal ancestry in present-day and ancient samples, and identifies cases of temporally varying selection that are sometimes shared across large geographic distances.

scholarly journals Global demographic history of human populations inferred from whole mitochondrial genomes

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. 180543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor F. Miller ◽  
Andrea Manica ◽  
William Amos
Keyword(s):  
Demographic History ◽  
Population Expansion ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Population Mixing ◽  
Neolithic Transition ◽  
Current Location ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
History Of ◽  
Complete Mtdna

The Neolithic transition has led to marked increases in census population sizes across the world, as recorded by a rich archaeological record. However, previous attempts to detect such changes using genetic markers, especially mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), have mostly been unsuccessful. We use complete mtDNA genomes from over 1700 individuals, from the 1000 Genomes Project Phase 3, to explore changes in populations sizes in five populations for each of four major geographical regions, using a sophisticated coalescent-based Bayesian method (extended Bayesian skyline plots) and mutation rates calibrated with ancient DNA. Despite the power and sophistication of our analysis, we fail to find size changes that correspond to the Neolithic transitions of the study populations. However, we do detect a number of size changes, which tend to be replicated in most populations within each region. These changes are mostly much older than the Neolithic transition and could reflect either population expansion or changes in population structure. Given the amount of migration and population mixing that occurred after these ancient signals were generated, we caution that modern populations will often carry ghost signals of demographic events that occurred far away from their current location.

scholarly journals Demographic history and admixture dynamics in African Sahelian populations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viktor Černý ◽  
Cesar Fortes-Lima ◽  
Petr Tříska
Keyword(s):  
Demographic History ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
African Region ◽  
Genetic Studies ◽  
Genomic Studies ◽  
History Of ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The Sahel/Savannah belt of Africa is a contact zone between two subsistence systems (nomadic pastoralism and sedentary farming) and of two groups of populations, namely Eurasians penetrating from northern Africa southwards and sub-Saharan Africans migrating northwards. Because pastoralism is characterised by a high degree of mobility, it leaves few significant archaeological traces. Demographic history seen through the lens of population genetic studies complements our historical and archaeological knowledge in this African region. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of demographic history in the Sahel/Savannah belt as revealed by genetic studies. We show the impact of food-producing subsistence strategies on population structure as well as the somewhat different migration patterns in the western and eastern part of the region. Genomic studies show that the gene pool of various groups of Sahelians consists in a complex mosaic of several ancestries. We also touch upon various signals of genetic adaptations such as lactase persistence, taste sensitivity, and malaria resistance, all of which have different distribution patterns among Sahelian populations. Overall, genetic studies contribute to gain a deeper understanding about the demographic and adaptive history of human populations in this specific African region and beyond.

scholarly journals The timing of human adaptation from Neanderthal introgression

Genetics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sivan Yair ◽  
Kristin M Lee ◽  
Graham Coop
Keyword(s):  
Demographic History ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Allele Frequencies ◽  
Population Divergence ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Human Adaptation ◽  
Adaptive Introgression ◽  
History Of ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Abstract Admixture has the potential to facilitate adaptation by providing alleles that are immediately adaptive in a new environment or by simply increasing the long term reservoir of genetic diversity for future adaptation. A growing number of cases of adaptive introgression are being identified in species across the tree of life, however the timing of selection, and therefore the importance of the different evolutionary roles of admixture, is typically unknown. Here, we investigate the spatio-temporal history of selection favoring Neanderthal-introgressed alleles in modern human populations. Using both ancient and present-day samples of modern humans, we integrate the known demographic history of populations, namely population divergence and migration, with tests for selection. We model how a sweep placed along different branches of an admixture graph acts to modify the variance and covariance in neutral allele frequencies among populations at linked loci. Using a method based on this model of allele frequencies, we study previously identified cases of Neanderthal adaptive introgression. From these, we identify cases in which Neanderthal introgressed alleles were quickly beneficial and other cases in which they persisted at low frequency for some time. For some of the alleles that persisted at low frequency, we show that selection likely independently favored them later on in geographically separated populations. Our work highlights how admixture with ancient hominins has contributed to modern human adaptation and contextualizes observed levels of Neanderthal ancestry in present-day and ancient samples.

Using Genomic Data to Infer Historic Population Dynamics of Nonmodel Organisms

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 433-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annabel C. Beichman ◽  
Emilia Huerta-Sanchez ◽  
Kirk E. Lohmueller
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Statistical Inference ◽  
Statistical Methods ◽  
Genome Sequence ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Genomic Data ◽  
Underlying Theory ◽  
History Of ◽  
Pros And Cons

Genome sequence data are now being routinely obtained from many nonmodel organisms. These data contain a wealth of information about the demographic history of the populations from which they originate. Many sophisticated statistical inference procedures have been developed to infer the demographic history of populations from this type of genomic data. In this review, we discuss the different statistical methods available for inference of demography, providing an overview of the underlying theory and logic behind each approach. We also discuss the types of data required and the pros and cons of each method. We then discuss how these methods have been applied to a variety of nonmodel organisms. We conclude by presenting some recommendations for researchers looking to use genomic data to infer demographic history.

scholarly journals Inference and analysis of population-specific fine-scale recombination maps across 26 diverse human populations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Spence ◽  
Yun S. Song
Keyword(s):  
Binding Sites ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Dna Binding Protein ◽  
Polycomb Group ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Polycomb Group Proteins ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Recombination Rates ◽  
Confounding Effect ◽  
History Of

AbstractFine-scale rates of meiotic recombination vary by several orders of magnitude across the genome, and are known to differ between species and even between populations. Studying the differences in recombination maps across populations has been stymied by the confounding effect of differences in demographic history. To address this problem, we developed a method that infers fine-scale recombination rates while taking demography into account and applied our method to infer population-specific recombination maps for each of 26 diverse human populations. These maps recapitulate many aspects of the history of these populations including signatures of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the Iberian colonization of the Americas. We also investigated modulators of the local recombination rate, finding an unexpected role for Polycomb-group proteins and the tri-methylation of H3K27 in elevating recombination rates. Further differences in the recombination landscape across the genome and between populations are driven by variation in the gene that encodes the DNA-binding protein PRDM9, and we quantify the weak effect of meiotic drive acting to remove its binding sites.

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