ARS | Publication request: Y-chromosome variability in four Native American populations from Panama.

Submitted to: Forensic Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: March 15, 2008
Publication Date: December 15, 2008
Citation: Ascunce, M.S., Gonzalez-Oliver, A., Mulligan, C. 2008. Y-chromosome variability in four Native American populations from Panama.. Forensic Science.80(3):287-302.

Interpretive Summary: Over the last 20 years, the evolutionary history of New World people has been the subject of considerable research using mitochondrial DNA in order to understand the colonization of the Americas. In the last 10 years, the availability of Y-chromosome (male) markers has contributed to a better understanding of this demographic event. In addition, these Y-chromosome genetic markers are being used worldwide to create regional Y-chromosome databases for forensic purposes. A Postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, USDA, ARS, Gainesville, Florida, and scientists from the University of Florida describe here the results of genetic population analysis employing 13 Y-chromosome markers in 99 males from four Panamanian Native American populations, including the Chibcha-speaking Ngöbé and Kuna and the Chocó-speaking Emberá and Wounan. A major finding of this study is that the different Native American groups are strongly differentiated at both the mitochondrial (maternal) and Y-chromosome (paternal) level, despite their geographic proximity, related languages and shared cultural practices. These results cautions against an assumption of genetic homogeneity, even among cultural related populations, when calculating genetic discrimination measures.

Technical Abstract: The allele and haplotype frequencies for 13 Y-chromosome short tandem repeats (STRs) [nine STRs loci of the minimal Y chromosome haplotype (DYS19/DYS385a/DYS385b/DYS389-I/DYS389-II/DYS390/ DYS391/DYS392/ DYS393) plus four additional loci (DYS388/DYS426/DYS439/ DXYS156)] were determined in 99 males from four Panamanian Native American populations, including the Chibcha-speaking Ngöbé and Kuna and the Chocó-speaking Emberá and Wounan. Fifty haplotypes were identified, of which 48 (96%) were specific to a single population and 29 (63%) were found in only a single individual. Gene diversity per locus per population ranged from 0 to 0.814 with the highest gene diversity present in locus DYS389II in the Emberá. The haplotypic discrimination capacity was low, ranging from 42.3% in the Kuna to 63.1% in the Wounan. The four Panamanian Native American populations showed a high degree of differentiation both at the Y-chromosome and mitochondrial genome highlighting the importance of population structure even in geographically proximate and linguistically related populations.