期刊
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
卷 175, 期 4, 页码 905-919出版社
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24333
关键词
admixture; ancestry; demography; slavery; West Africa
资金
- National Center for Research Resources [M01 RR001070, P20 RR-017696, UL1 RR029882]
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases [K01 AR067280, P30 AR072582, P60 AR049459]
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [R01 DK084350]
- W. M. Keck Foundation
The study found subtle differences in population structure between Gullah African Americans and non-Gullah African Americans, including higher African ancestry and male-biased European admixture in the Gullah. Despite some relatedness to populations from Sierra Leone, the Gullah are genetically related to many West African populations, suggesting their ancestors may have originated from West Africa.
Objectives Gullah African Americans are descendants of formerly enslaved Africans living in the Sea Islands along the coast of the southeastern U.S., from North Carolina to Florida. Their relatively high numbers and geographic isolation were conducive to the development and preservation of a unique culture that retains deep African features. Although historical evidence supports a West-Central African ancestry for the Gullah, linguistic and cultural evidence of a connection to Sierra Leone has led to the suggestion of this country/region as their ancestral home. This study sought to elucidate the genetic structure and ancestry of the Gullah. Materials and Methods We leveraged whole-genome genotype data from Gullah, African Americans from Jackson, Mississippi, African populations from Sierra Leone, and population reference panels from Africa and Europe to infer population structure, ancestry proportions, and global estimates of admixture. Results Relative to non-Gullah African Americans from the Southeast US, the Gullah exhibited higher mean African ancestry, lower European admixture, a similarly small Native American contribution, and increased male-biased European admixture. A slightly tighter bottleneck in the Gullah 13 generations ago suggests a largely shared demographic history with non-Gullah African Americans. Despite a slightly higher relatedness to populations from Sierra Leone, our data demonstrate that the Gullah are genetically related to many West African populations. Discussion This study confirms that subtle differences in African American population structure exist at finer regional levels. Such observations can help to inform medical genetics research in African Americans, and guide the interpretation of genetic data used by African Americans seeking to explore ancestral identities.
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