Abstract
Two hundred and three individuals classified as white were tested for 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms plus two insertion/deletions in their Y-chromosomes. A subset of these individuals (n = 172) was also screened for sequences in the first hypervariable segment of their mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). In addition, complementary studies were done for 11 of the 13 markers indicated above in 54 of 107 black subjects previously investigated in this southern Brazilian population. The prevalence of Y-chromosome haplogroups among whites was similar to that found in the Azores (Portugal) or Spain, but not to that of other European countries. About half of the European or African mtDNA haplogroups of these individuals were related to their places of origin, but not their Amerindian counterparts. Persons classified in these two categories of skin color and related morphological traits showed distinct genomic ancestries through the country. These findings emphasize the need to consider in Brazil, despite some general trends, a notable heterogeneity in the pattern of admixture dynamics within and between populations/groups.
Highlights
The great maritime expeditions and colonial expansion by Europeans during the 15th and 16th centuries considerably changed their history and those of the colonized peoples
Genetic studies of Brazilian populations have shown, for example, that the extent of admixture among Europeans, Africans and Native Americans is higher than perceived by phenotypic characteristics, and that marriages during the Colonial Era were mainly asymmetric, with most of the Y-chromosomes present in contemporary white Brazilian populations being of European origin, but a significant portion of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages being of Amerindian or African origin (AlvesSilva et al, 2000; Carvalho-Silva et al, 2001)
We investigated the genetic background of people classified as white or black living in the same city (Porto Alegre, the capital of the southernmost state of Brazil)
Summary
The great maritime expeditions and colonial expansion by Europeans during the 15th and 16th centuries considerably changed their history and those of the colonized peoples. Hünemeier et al (2007) recently presented and discussed the African portion of the Y-chromosomes and mtDNA lineages of a sample of 107 blacks from the same city.
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