The genetic scenario of Mercheros: an under-represented group within the Iberian Peninsula

BMC Genomics

André Flores-Bello¹  David Comas¹  Neus Font-Porterias¹  Julen Aizpurua-Iraola¹  Sara Duarri-Redondo¹ 

[1] Departament de Ciències de la Salut i de la Vida, Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003, Barcelona, Spain;

关键词: Merchero population;    Haplotype-based methods;    Genome-wide autosomal data;    Genetic origin;    Minority ethnic group;    Iberian Peninsula;    Uniparental markers;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12864-021-08203-y

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe general picture of human genetic variation has been vastly depicted in the last years, yet many populations remain broadly understudied. In this work, we analyze for the first time the Merchero population, a Spanish minority ethnic group that has been scarcely studied and historically persecuted. Mercheros have been roughly characterised by an itinerant history, common traditional occupations, and the usage of their own language.ResultsHere, we examine the demographic history and genetic scenario of Mercheros, by using genome-wide array data, whole mitochondrial sequences, and Y chromosome STR markers from 25 individuals. These samples have been complemented with a wide-range of present-day populations from Western Eurasia and North Africa. Our results show that the genetic diversity of Mercheros is explained within the context of the Iberian Peninsula, evidencing a modest signal of Roma admixture. In addition, Mercheros present low genetic isolation and intrapopulation heterogeneity.ConclusionsThis study represents the first genetic characterisation of the Merchero population, depicting their fine-scale ancestry components and genetic scenario within the Iberian Peninsula. Since ethnicity is not only influenced by genetic ancestry but also cultural factors, other studies from multiple disciplines are needed to further explore the Merchero population. As with Mercheros, there is a considerable gap of underrepresented populations and ethnic groups in publicly available genetic data. Thus, we encourage the consideration of more ethnically diverse population panels in human genetic studies, as an attempt to improve the representation of human populations and better reconstruct their fine-scale history.

【 授权许可】

CC BY