Skip to main content
Log in

A genetic affinity analysis of human populations

  • Published:
Human Evolution

Abstract

Genetic affinity of human populations based on allele frequency data was studied from two viewpoints. (1) The effect of the number of polymorphic loci on the reconstruction of a phylogenetic tree of human populations was empirically investigated. Genetic affinity trees were constructed based on data for 1–12 polymorphic loci, by using the neighbor-joining method. Geographical clustering of populations gradually appeared when the number of loci was increased. A new classification and terminology of higher order human population clusters is proposed based on these and other studies. (2) A new method of estimating the absolute divergence time of two populations is proposed, which is based on a diffusion equation that describes random genetic drift.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abramowitz M. & Stegun I.A., 1964.Handbook of Mathematical Functions with Formulas, Graphs, and Mathematical Tables. National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ballard C, 1993.Stimulating minds to fantasy? A critical etymology for Sahul. In (Smith M.A. Spriggs M., & Frankhansen B. eds), Occasional Papers in Prehistory, No. 24, Sahul in Review, pp. 17–23. Department of Prehistory, Australian National University, Sydney.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellwood P.S., 1977.Man’s Conquest of the Pacific. Collins, London and Auckland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bendyshe T., ed., 1985.Anthropological Treatises of Johann Friedrich Blumenbach. Longman, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowcock A.M., Ruiz-Linares A., Tomfohrde, J., Minch E., Kidd J.R., & Cavalli-Sforza L.L., 1994.High resolution of human evolutionary trees with polymorphic microsatellites. Nature, 368: 455–457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cann R.L., Stoneking M., & Wilson A.C., 1987.Mitochondrial DNA and human evolution. Nature, 325: 31–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cavalli-Sforza L.L. & Edwards A.W.F., 1967.Phylogenetic analysis: models and estimation procedures.American Journal of Human Genetics, 19: 233–257.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cavalli-Sforza L.L., Piazza A., Menozzi P., & Mountain J., 1988.Reconstruction of human evolution: Bringing together genetic, archaeological, and linguistic data. Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences USA, 85: 6002–6006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darwin C., 1859.The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. John Murray, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harihara S., Hirai M., Suutou Y., Shimizu K., & Omoto K., 1992.Frequency of a 9-bp deletion in the mitochondrial DNA among Asian populations. Human Biology, 64: 161–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hertzberg M., Mickleson K.N.P., Serjeantson S.W., Prior J.F., & Trent R.J., 1989.An Asian-specific 9-bp deletion of mitochondrial DNA is frequently found in Polynesians. American Journal of Human Genetics, 44: 504–510.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horai S., Kondo R., Nakagawa-Hattori Y., Hayashi S., Sonoda S., & Tajima K., 1993.Peopling of the Americas, founded by four major lineages of mitochondrial DNA. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 10: 23–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Imanishi T., Wakisaka A., & Gojobori T., 1992.Genetic relationships among various human populations indicated by MHC polymorphisms. In (Tsuji, K., Aizawa, M., & Sasazuki, T. eds.). HLA1991 Vol. 1, pp. 627–632. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kimura M., 1955.Solution of a process of random genetic drift with a continuous model. Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences USA, 41: 144–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nei, M., 1972.Genetic distance between populations. American Naturalist, 106: 283–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nei, M., 1987.Molecular Evolutionary Genetics. Columbia University Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nei M. & Roychoudhury A. K., 1974.Genetic variation within and between the three major races of man, Caucasoids, Negroids, and Mongoloids. American Journal of Human Genetics, 26: 421–443.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nei M. & Roychoudhury A.K., 1982.Genetic relationship and evolution of human races. Evolutionary Biology, 14: 1–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nei M. & Roychoudhury A.K., 1993.Evolutionary relationships of human populations on a global scale. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 10: 927–943.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nei M., Tajima F., & Tateno Y., 1983.Accuracy of estimated phylogenetic trees from molecular data. II. Gene frequency data. Journal of Molecular Evolution, 19: 153–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nei M. & Takezaki N., 1994.Estimation of genetic distances and phylogenetic trees from data analysis. Proceedings of the 5th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Liverstok Production, 21: 405–412.

    Google Scholar 

  • Passarino G., Semino O., Modiano G., & Santachiara-Benerecetti A.S., 1993.COII/tRNALys Intergenic 9-bp deletion and other mtDNA markers clearly reveal that the Tharus (Southern Nepal) have Oriental affinities. American Journal of Human Genetics, 53: 609–618.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roychoudhury A.K. & Nei M., 1988.Human Polymorphic Genes: A World Distribution. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saitou N., 1991.Statistical methods for phylogenetic tree reconstruction. In (Rao C.R. & Chakraborty R. eds.), Handbook of Statistics, Volume 8: Statistical Methods for Biological and Medical Sciences, pp. 317–346. Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saitou N. & Nei M., 1987.The neighbor-joining method: a new method for constructing phylogenetic trees. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 4: 406–425.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saitou N., Omoto K., Du C., & Du R., 1994.Population genetic study in Hainan Island, China. II. Genetic affinity analyses. Anthropological Science, 102: 129–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saitou N., Tokunaga K., & Omoto K., 1992.Genetic affinities of human populations. In (Roberts, D.F., Fujiki, N., & Torizuka, K. eds.). Society for Study of Human Biology Symposium 33: Isolation, Migration, and Health, pp. 118–129. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sambuughin N., Petrishchev V.N., & Rychkov Yu. G., 1991.DNA polymorphism in Mongolian population: analysis of restriction endonuclease polymorphism of mitochondrial DNA. Genetika, 27: 2143–2151 (in Russian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Schurr T.G., Ballinger S.W., Gan Y.-Y., Jodge J.A., Merriwether D.A., Lawrence D.N., Knowler W.C., Weiss K.M., & Wallace D.C., 1990.Amerindian mitochondrial DNAs have rare Asian mutations at high frequencies, suggesting they derived from four primary maternal lineages. American Journal of Human Genetics, 46: 613–623.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shields G.F., Hecker K., Voevoda M.I., & Reed J.K., 1992.Absence of the Asian-specific region V mitochondrial marker in native Beringians. American Journal of Human Genetics, 50: 758–765.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shields G.F., Schmiechen A.M., Frazier B.L., Reed A., Voevoda M.I., Reed J.K., & Ward R.H., 1993.mtDNA sequences suggest a recent evolutionary divergence for Beringian and northern American populations. American Journal of Human Genetics, 53: 549–562.

    Google Scholar 

  • Torroni A., Sukernik R.I., Schurr T.G., Starikovskaya Y.B., Cabell M.F., Crawford M.H., Comuzzie A.G., & Wallace D.C., 1993a.mtDNA variation of aboriginal Siberians reveals distinct genetic affinities with native Americans. American Journal of Human Genetics, 53: 591–608.

    Google Scholar 

  • Torroni A., Schurr T.G., Cabell M.F., Brown M.D., Neel J.V., Larsen M., Smith D.G., Vullo C.M., & Wallace D.C., 1993b.Asian affinities and continental radiation of the four founding native American mtDNAs. American Journal of Human Genetics, 53: 563–590.

    Google Scholar 

  • White J.P. & O’Connell J.F., 1979.Australian prehistory: new aspects of antiquity. Science, 203: 21–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wrischnik L.A., Higuchi R.G., Stoneking M., Erlich H.A., Arnheim N., & Wilson A.C., 1987.Length mutations in human mitochondrial DNA; direct sequencing of enzymatically amplified DNA. Nucleic Acids Research, 15: 529–542.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Saitou, N. A genetic affinity analysis of human populations. Hum. Evol. 10, 17–33 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02437511

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02437511

Key words

Navigation