Genetic substructure in South African Bantu‐speakers

Evidence from autosomal DNA and Y‐chromosome studies

Bibliographic Data

ID8314560
AuthorsA B Lane (University of the Witwatersrand, corresponding author), Himla Soodyall (0000-0003-2488-9185, University of the Witwatersrand), Silke Arndt (University of the Witwatersrand), M E Ratshikhopha (University of the Witwatersrand), E Jonker (University of the Witwatersrand), C Freeman (0000-0001-6578-0552), L Young (0000-0001-5178-1853, University of the Witwatersrand), Bharti Morar (0000-0003-3897-1403, University of the Witwatersrand), L Toffie (University of the Witwatersrand)
Year2002
Volume119
Issue2
Pages175-185
Publication date2002-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.10097
PMID12237937
OpenAlexW2123435104
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited18

The extent of genetic differentiation between seven South African Bantu‐speaking groups (Zulu, Xhosa, Tsonga/Shangaan, Southern Sotho, Pedi, Tswana, and Venda) was assessed from coancestry coefficients (F ST ) estimated from autosomal serogenetic, DNA, and Y‐chromosome DNA haplotypes. The overall F ST obtained from the autosomal data was 0.002, and that from the Y chromosome data was 0.014. The genetic relationships between groups examined were inferred from their cluster affinities in phylogenetic trees constructed from the genetic distances between them. Both autosomal and Y‐chromosome DNA studies reveal that 6 of the 7 South African Bantu‐speaking groups cluster according to their linguistic groupings, the exception being the Tsonga, who do not cluster with other Nguni language speakers, but rather with the Venda who live close to them. This suggests that the invading Shangaan‐speakers, whose Nguni language was adopted by the Tsonga, did not have a major effect on the Tsonga gene pool, and that gene flow from the Venda into the Tsonga may have been considerable. Genetic distances were found to correlate with geographic distances between the regions where each group's apparent population density is the highest. Linguistic distances were also found to correlate with genetic distances, but linguistic and geographic distances showed no correlation. Together, these results suggest that linguistic and some genetic differentiation took place before the groups (or their forerunners) reached their present‐day locations, and that further genetic change occurred after their arrival. Am J Phys Anthropol 119:175–185, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc

Bantu languages · Biology · Chromosome · Evolutionary biology · Gene · Gene flow · Gene pool · Genetic distance · Genetic diversity · Genetic marker · Genetic variation · Genotype · Haplotype · Linguistics · Population · Sociology · Xhosa · Demography · Forensic and Genetic Research · Genetic diversity and population structure · Genetics · Race, Genetics, and Society

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