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Not Exactly Rocket Science : European genes mirror European geography

ommitment » European genes mirror European geography

Category: Genetics
Posted on: September 1, 2008 8:00 AM, by Ed Yong

Within a drop of blood, you can find all the information you need to reasonably guess where a person came from, without ever having to look at their face, name or passport. Small variations in our DNA are enough for the task. They can be used to pinpoint someone's place of origin to a remarkable degree of accuracy, often to within a few hundred kilometres.

The new discovery comes from a team of Swiss and American researchers led by  John Novembre at UCLA, who wanted to understand how the human genome varies on a continental scale. To that end, they looked at the genomes of over 1.300 people sampled from almost three dozen countries across Europe. The sample was originally collected by GlaxoSmithKline to hunt out genetic variations that influence the effectiveness of drugs and their side effects, but Novembre's team put it to use in understanding the links between genes and geography instead.

They analysed at single-letter differences in DNA ("single nucleotide polymorphisms" or SNPs) at about 200,000 places in each of the genomes. They compared this data to each person's country of origin as well as that of their grandparents if possible.



The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it. Chinese Proverb.
by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Thu Sep 4th, 2008 at 08:36:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The genetic diversity across Italy is interesting (unlike that in Switzerland and Germany), even if possibly easily explained by the Roman Empire and following migrations. Note Hungary: traditional history tracks back "the Hungarians" across the Eurasian steppes and up to the Urals, but geneticists long discovered that those nomads are only a minority of the ancestors of today's Hungarians, with the mixing with and assimilation from local Slavic and Germanic populations dominant.

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.
by DoDo on Fri Sep 5th, 2008 at 05:22:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]
It is typical of invaders to form a small military caste at the top. For most of history peasants were relatively unaffected by changes in ruling castes.

A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Sep 5th, 2008 at 05:37:59 AM EST
[ Parent ]
interesting...

i read somewhere recently that the etruscans came originally from izmir, turkey!

The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it. Chinese Proverb.

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Mon Sep 8th, 2008 at 05:54:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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