Common Male Ancestor Research Articles

Cloning and comparative analysis of zinc-finger protein gene on Y-chromosome (ZFY) between Thai Bangkaew dog and other Thai canids

The Thai Bangkaew dog is a Spitz-type dog that originated in Thailand. Legend has it that the dog is descended from hybrids between a native female dog and a male wild canid. To examine the mysterious story about the ancestry of the Thai Bangkaew dog's paternal lineage, sequence variation was examined for the last intron of the Y-chromosome-specific zinc-finger gene, ZFY, and its X homolog for male Thai Bangkaew dogs and other male Thai canids, including the Thai ridgeback and mixed breed dogs, Asiatic jackals (Canis aureus) and a dhole (Cuon alpinus). A 1075-bp ZFY segment from DNA samples of Thai Bangkaew dogs was found to be 100% identical to the domestic dog ZFY and (if gaps are allowed) showed 81% and 92% identity to jackal ZFY and dhole ZFY, respectively. However, if gaps were treated as missing data, the 1045-bp ZFY sequence for the Thai Bangkaew dogs was 100% identical to domestic dog ZFY and 99.5% to jackal ZFY and dhole ZFY, respectively. In addition, the 959-bp Thai Bangkaew ZFX fragments were identical and showed 100% identity to domestic dog ZFX. These genetic data suggest that the Thai Bangkaew dogs still present today share a common male ancestor with modern dogs, rather than being the descendants of dhole or jackal/dog hybrids.

Inclusion of daughter in Mitakshara coparcenary: a radical change

A Hindu coparcenary means only those persons who acquire by birth an interest in the joint family property or coparcenary property. Prior to 2005 a Hindu Mitakshara coparcenary consisted of the common male ancestor and three male lineal descendants. Now according to Section 6 of the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, a daughter of a coparcener has been included in Mitakshara coparcenary along with the sons of the coparcener. Proviso to substituted Section 6 (1) is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India. It discriminates against the daughter since the son is not debarred from challenging disposition of coparcenary property made before 20.12.2004, whereas the daughter is debarred. The Kerala Joint Hindu Family System (Abolition) Act, 1975 abolished the joint family system in the Kerala State with effect from 1.12.1976. Parliament may consider the desirability to strike down the entire coparcenary system as has been done by the Kerala State Legislature.

Reunification by Y-Chromosome Lineage Analysis of an Ashkenazi Jewish Family with a Rare Surname who were Spatially and Temporally Separated

Y-chromosome lineage analysis is very useful for confirming a relationship between paternal relatives separated by various circumstances. In this study, we attempted to reconnect three paternal lineages who all share the same rare Ashkenazi Jewish surname Korenbaum or a derivative of that name. Even though some of the men tested from each of these three lineages were from different continents, they all shared an oral history of a male ancestor from the Bug River region in modern day Belarus and a strong reference to familial separation. Because the surname is exceedingly rare, it is believed that all Korenbaums are related. However, genealogical research has thus far been unable to connect several distant branches including a large branch living in Germany Today Korenbaums are spread around the world, with significant populations in the United States, Israel, France, Russia, Germany, England and other countries. The Y-DNA analysis was performed using four Y-chromosome biallelic markers and twelve YSTR markers to determine the haplogroup and haplotype for the various Korenbaum descendants. It was determined that all three Korenbaum lineages possessed the same rare haplotype belonging to the Near East Yhaplogroup E1b1b1b2a. This analysis supports that these lineages share a common paternal ancestor. Two of these lineages were confirmed by genealogical records to have a common male ancestor born in the mid-19th century. While the third lineage could not be directly connected though genealogical records, the rareness of the surname, their shared oral history, the age of Ashkenazi surnames and records of the oldest Korenbaum ancestor point to a likely common ancestor born in the late 18th century in modern-day Belarus. We conclude that Ychromosome analysis is a powerful tool in lineage confirmations of displaced peoples. However, its usefulness is greatly diminished if not used in conjunction with other investigative tools. Further work on the Korenbaum family may prove useful for understanding Y-lineage evolution rates and dating.

How old are chimpanzee communities? Time to the most recent common ancestor of the Y-chromosome in highly patrilocal societies

Many human societies are patrilineal, with males passing on their name or descent group affiliation to their offspring. Y-chromosomes are also passed on from father to son, leading to the simple expectation that males sharing the same surname or descent group membership should have similar Y-chromosome haplotypes. Although several studies in patrilineal human societies have examined the correspondence between Y-chromosome variation and surname or descent group membership, similar studies in non-human animals are lacking. Chimpanzees represent an excellent species for examining the relationship between descent group membership and Y-chromosome variation because they live in strongly male philopatric communities that arise by a group-fissioning process. Here we take advantage of recent analytical advances in the calculation of the time to the most recent common male ancestor and a large sample size of 273 Y-chromosome short tandem repeat haplotypes to inform our understanding of the potential ages of eight communities of chimpanzees. We find that the times to the most recent common male ancestor of chimpanzee communities are several hundred to as much as over two thousand years. These genetic estimates of the great time depths of chimpanzee communities accord well with behavioral observations suggesting that community fissions are a very rare event and are similar to genetic estimates of the time depth of patrilineal human groups.

Does anonymous sperm donation increase the risk for unions between relatives and the incidence of autosomal recessive diseases due to consanguinity?

In France gamete donation and notably sperm donation are anonymous. It has been claimed that anonymous artificial insemination by donor (AID) could highly contribute to an increase in the level of consanguinity and the incidence of autosomal recessive diseases, due to the unions between offspring of anonymous donors, unaware of their biological kinship, with the special case of unions between half-siblings. The actual incidence of consanguinity due to AID was compared with that resulting from the two other main sources of consanguinity and recessive diseases, i.e. voluntary unions between related individuals or inadvertent unions between the offspring of a common unknown male ancestor (false paternity). From these data, we estimated that expected unions in France between half sibs per year are 0.12 between offspring of sperm donors (1.2 every 10 years) and 0.5 between offspring of common male ancestors through false paternity (5 every 10 years). More generally, the inadvertent unions between false paternity offspring are roughly four times more frequent than those resulting from anonymous AID. We estimated that in the future, when AID has been in practice for several generations, out the 820 000 annual births in France, respectively, 6 and 25 births will be consanguineous through an unknown common ancestor related to anonymous AID and to a false paternity, both of which are negligible when compared with the 1256 children born from first-degree cousins. About 672 children per year are born with a recessive genetic disease due to the panmictic risk and additional affected cases due to consanguinity would be 34.54 for first-cousin offspring, 0.33 for offspring of individuals related due to false paternity and 0.079 for offspring of individuals related due to anonymous AID. Anonymous AID would therefore be responsible for 0.46% of consanguineous births and for 0.01% of recessive diseases. Therefore, the effect of anonymous AID on half-sibling unions, consanguinity and recessive disease incidence can be regarded as marginal.

Male dominance rarely skews the frequency distribution of Y chromosome haplotypes in human populations

A central tenet of evolutionary social science holds that behaviors, such as those associated with social dominance, produce fitness effects that are subject to cultural selection. However, evidence for such selection is inconclusive because it is based on short-term statistical associations between behavior and fertility. Here, we show that the evolutionary effects of dominance at the population level can be detected using noncoding regions of DNA. Highly variable polymorphisms on the nonrecombining portion of the Y chromosome can be used to trace lines of descent from a common male ancestor. Thus, it is possible to test for the persistence of differential fertility among patrilines. We examine haplotype distributions defined by 12 short tandem repeats in a sample of 1269 men from 41 Indonesian communities and test for departures from neutral mutation-drift equilibrium based on the Ewens sampling formula. Our tests reject the neutral model in only 5 communities. Analysis and simulations show that we have sufficient power to detect such departures under varying demographic conditions, including founder effects, bottlenecks, and migration, and at varying levels of social dominance. We conclude that patrilines seldom are dominant for more than a few generations, and thus traits or behaviors that are strictly paternally inherited are unlikely to be under strong cultural selection.

Polycystic kidney disease in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Autosomal dominant polycystic disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common monogenetic diseases in humans affecting 1 out of 1000 individuals. ADPKD is associated with mutations in chromosomal regions designated PKD1 and PKD2. A group of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) presenting with symptoms that are most consistent with the human condition of ADPKD was identified in the general colony population at the Wisconsin Primate Research Center. Renal and hepatic cysts were observed in four male rhesus macaques postmortem. Analysis of pedigrees revealed a common male ancestor. Three of the males were sired and the fourth was grandsired by this common ancestor while several first generation females did not present with hepatic or renal cysts at necropsy. This suggested a genetic component in the disease. Based on the similarities between the clinical presentation of the animal’s disease and ADPKD, the genetic component was investigated. Using the predicted rhesus macaque sequence of PKD1 and PKD2, tools were constructed to sequence both genes. These genes are expressed in PBMC and have been partially sequenced in wild type rhesus macaque. Upon analysis it was found that the observed rhesus sequences correlated closely with the predicted sequence. These genetic tools will be used to identify whether mutations exist in PKD1 or PKD2 in the affected animals. Further genetic investigation into rhesus macaque polycystic kidney disease could lead to the first viable primate model for human ADPKD study. Funded by: NIH 5P51RR000167

Evidence on hereditary occurrence of placental anastomoses in heterosexual twins in sheep.

Pedigree analysis of 22 heterosexual litters demonstrating the leukocyte chimerism (XX/XY) was carried out. The analysis revealed the familial occurrence of the chimerism in 15 litters. Eight litters were obtained from four ewes and the other seven ones were sired by three rams. Moreover, it was shown that ten chimeric litters had a common male ancestor. The coefficients of inbreeding ranged from 0.0 to 0.0625, with a mean of 0.019. These results suggest that the development of placental anastomoses in sheep is genetically controlled. A possible mode of the genetic control is discussed.

Maternal and paternal lineages of the Samaritan isolate: mutation rates and time to most recent common male ancestor.

The Samaritan community is a small, isolated, and highly endogamous group numbering some 650 members who have maintained extensive genealogical records for the past 13-15 generations. We performed mutation detection experiments on mitochondrial DNAs and Y chromosomes from confirmed maternal and paternal lineages to estimate mutation rates in these two haploid compartments of the genome. One hundred and twenty four DNA samples from different pedigrees (representing 200 generation links) were analyzed for the mtDNA hypervariable I and II regions, and 74 male samples (comprising 139 links) were typed for 12 Y-STRs mapping to the non-recombining portion of the Y chromosome (NRY). Excluding two somatic heteroplasmic substitutions and several length variants in the homopolymeric C run in the HVII region, no mutations were found in the Samaritans' maternal lineages. Based on mutations found in Samaritan paternal lineages, an estimate of a mutation rate of 0.42% (95% confidence interval of 0.22%-0.71%) across 12 Y-STRs was obtained. This estimate is slightly higher than those obtained in previous pedigree studies in other populations. The haplotypes identified in Samaritan paternal lineages that belong to the same haplogroup were used to estimate the number of generations elapsed since their most recent common ancestor (MRCA). The estimate of 80 generations corresponds with accepted traditions of the origin of this sect.

Familial protein-losing enteropathy and protein-losing nephropathy in Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers: 222 cases (1983-1997).

Records and pedigrees of Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers (SCWT) with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) or protein-losing nephropathy (PLN) were studied retrospectively. Criteria for inclusion were defined based on analysis of blood (panhypoproteinemia for PLE, hypoalbuminemia for PLN) and urine (proteinuria for PLN) and histopathologic examination of tissue. Two hundred twenty-two affected dogs (female:male ratio = 1.6, P < .001) were clinically identified. Dogs were diagnosed with PLE earlier (P < .005; mean +/- SD age: 4.7+/-2.6 years, n = 76) than with PLN (6.3+/-2.0 years, n = 84) or with both diseases (5.9+/-2.2 years, n = 62). Clinical signs included vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, pleural and peritoneal effusions, and less commonly thromboembolic disease. Dogs with PLE generally had panhypoproteinemia and hypocholesterolemia; intestinal lesions included inflammatory bowel disease, dilated lymphatics, and lipogranulomatous lymphangitis. Dogs with PLN generally had hypoalbuminemia, proteinuria, hypercholesterolemia, and azotemia; renal lesions typically showed chronic glomerulonephritis/glomerulosclerosis, and less commonly endstage renal disease. Dogs with combined PLE/PLN had intermediate mean values (P < .001) for serum total protein, albumin, globulin, and cholesterol but had a higher mean urine protein:creatinine ratio than did PLN dogs (P < .05); intestinal and renal lesions in these dogs were similar to those in the other groups. Two dogs had incidental mild renal dysplasia. Pedigree analysis from 188 dogs demonstrated a common male ancestor, although the mode of inheritance is unknown. Both PLE and PLN are common diseases in this small breed population. The prognosis is poor. Compared with previously reported intestinal and renal diseases in dogs, a new, distinctive familial predisposition for both PLE and PLN has been recognized in the SCWT breed.

Familial Protein‐Losing Enteropathy and Protein‐Losing Nephropathy in Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers: 222 Cases (1983–1997)

Records and pedigrees of Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers (SCWT) with protein‐losing enteropathy (PLE) or protein‐losing nephropathy (PLN) were studied retrospectively. Criteria for inclusion were defined based on analysis of blood (panhypoproteinemia for PLE, hypoalbuminemia for PLN) and urine (proteinuria for PLN) and histopathologic examination of tissue. Two hundred twenty‐two affected dogs (female:male ratio = 1.6,P&lt; .001) were clinically identified. Dogs were diagnosed with PLE earlier (P&lt; .005; mean ± SD age: 4.7 ± 2.6 years, n = 76) than with PLN (6.3 ± 2.0 years, n = 84) or with both diseases (5.9 ± 2.2 years, n = 62). Clinical signs included vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, pleural and peritoneal effusions, and less commonly thrombo‐embolic disease. Dogs with PLE generally had panhypoproteinemia and hypocholesterolemia; intestinal lesions included inflammatory bowel disease, dilated lymphatics, and lipogranulomatous lymphangitis. Dogs with PLN generally had hypoalbuminemia, proteinuria, hypercholesterolemia, and azotemia; renal lesions typically showed chronic glomerulonephritis/glomerulosclerosis, and less commonly endstage renal disease. Dogs with combined PLE/PLN had intermediate mean values (P&lt; .001) for serum total protein, albumin, globulin, and cholesterol but had a higher mean urine protein: creatinine ratio than did PLN dogs (P&lt; .05); intestinal and renal lesions in these dogs were similar to those in the other groups. Two dogs had incidental mild renal dysplasia. Pedigree analysis from 188 dogs demonstrated a common male ancestor, although the mode of inheritance is unknown. Both PLE and PLN are common diseases in this small breed population. The prognosis is poor. Compared with previously reported intestinal and renal diseases in dogs, a new, distinctive familial predisposition for both PLE and PLN has been recognized in the SCWT breed.

Heritability of recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis in Thoroughbred racehorses

Abstract Objective To determine the likely mode of inheritance and identify probable foundation horses for recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) in Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses. Animals 4 families of TB racehorses with a high prevalence of RER, consisting of 3 to 53 horses/family, were used to determine mode of inheritance. Sixty-two TB horses with RER and 34 control TB racehorses without RER were used to identify probable foundation horses for the RER trait. Procedure RER was diagnosed by a veterinarian and verified by detecting high serum creatine kinase activity. Pedigrees dating from 1930 for all horses were entered into a database. Pedigrees of horses in 4 families were visually inspected for a pattern of inheritance and used for calculation of foundation horse contributions and inbreeding coefficients. The Markov chain Monte Carlo technique was used to analyze pedigrees of the 62 affected and 34 control horses for the conditional probability of foundation genotypes. A dominant mode of inheritance with variable expression model was used. Results Pedigree analysis supported an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance with variable expression. All affected horses from the 4 families shared a common ancestor. This ancestor and 5 other stallions had a conditional probability of 1.00 for being affected. All 6 stallions shared a common male ancestor within 3 to 5 generations. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance On the basis of this study, the RER trait has been in TB racehorses for more than 70 years and may be inherited as an autosomal dominant trait with variable expression. (Am J Vet Res 1999;60:250–256)

Craniometaphyseal dysplasia in six generations of a German kindred.

Craniometaphyseal dysplasia (CMD) was found in 6 generations of a large German kindred; 24 affected individuals were identified. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by further examinations in 15 individuals, including 2 exhumed skeletons. Five deceased individuals were considered to be undoubtedly affected by reviewing photographs, and 4 must have had CMD from genealogical considerations. Pedigree analysis was performed over 8 generations back to persons born at the beginning of the 18th century in a central area of Germany. The trait could be traced back to a common male ancestor, born in 1790. Molecular genetic investigations on 3 generations of this kindred are in progress. In the present study we describe the clinical characteristics of the family.

Renal disease in young Japanese Black cattle

This paper reports the occurrence of renal disease in six young Japanese Black cattle. Their kidneys were atrophic and of granular appearance. Histologically, they exhibited interstitial fibrosis with inflammatory cell infiltration, clusters of atrophic and cystic tubules, and thickening of tubular and Bowman's basement membranes. Glomeruli were markedly reduced in numbers and were hypercellular due to mesangial proliferation. The affected cattle had a common male ancestor, suggesting a familial basis for this disease.

Inbreeding arising through artificial insemination and natural service in Welsh black cattle

SUMMARYCurrent rates of inbreeding due to A.I. and natural service are estimated in Pedigree Welsh Black cattle.Since 1948, 27 sires have been used in A.I., 16 of which have a common male ancestor. Four sire-son pairs and two pairs and one trio of half-brothers have been in recent use. Two-thirds of the bulls and heifers bred by A.I. and registered in 1960 were sired by 4 bulls. Since 1954 progeny of two A.I. sires who are father and son, were preferred for registration.Pedigree analysis of a sample of 128 bulls showed that those bred by A.I. were, on average, 2·80% inbred, compared with 2·32% for those from natural matings. In a sample of 166 heifers corresponding values were 0·82% and 1·17%.One herd, through natural service, contributed 12% of the genes of a sample of bulls and heifers. Four other herds were outstanding for the number of males they provided. The average inbreeding of their young, registered bulls was estimated to be 7·04%.The widespread use of the descendents of one bull, both in A.I. and natural service, led to 94 cases of inbreeding in the third and fourth ancestral generations of the pedigrees of animals in the sample.It is concluded that the short term consequences of using a small number of bulls in A.I. measured in terms of inbreeding, are no different from those in natural service and that inbreeding depression in traits of commercial importance would be undetectable.

The Dynamics of Multilineality on the Mambila Plateau

Opening ParagraphThe Mambila social structure, unlike the majority of those studied in West Africa, is characterized by the presence of kinship groups with corporate functions which are not unilineal. All members of these units claim descent from a common male ancestor or his sibling, but descent may be traced through males, females, and in some cases through links including both sexes. A knowledge of the changes in both the traditional and present marriage practices is essential for obtaining an understanding of this kinship system. Changes in the two principal Mambila kinship groups—the memin and the man—over the past three or four decades will also be analysed.

Hereditary Congenital Ataxia in Holstein-Friesian Calves

Summary A total of eight calves showing spastic symptoms was found in two related herds of Holstein-Friesian cattle over a 2-yr. period. The symptoms were those of incoordination or ataxia, a failure of synergic muscle groups to act harmoniously. The symptoms were first apparent at about 6 wk. of age and were similar in all cases. The disease is not sex-linked, since calves of both sexes were affected. An analysis of the pedigrees of the calves revealed one common male ancestor. This bull appeared in the pedigrees of both the sire and dam of all the affected calves. The ataxia is postulated to be inherited as an autosomal recessive. The occurrence of ataxic calves ceased when bulls known to be carriers were removed from the herd. The anatomical basis for the condition was neuronal degeneration and cerebellar hypoplasia.