The genomic history of the indigenous people of the Canary Islands

Here, the authors use paleogenomic data from the indigenous people of the Canary Islands to shed light on the Prehistory of North Africa, and on how insularity and resources availability shaped the genetic composition of this isolated population. The indigenous population of the Canary Islands, which colonized the archipelago around the 3(rd) century CE, provides both a window into the past of North Africa and a unique model to explore the effects of insularity. We generate genome-wide data from 40 individuals from the seven islands, dated between the 3(rd)-16(rd) centuries CE. Along with components already present in Moroccan Neolithic populations, the Canarian natives show signatures related to Bronze Age expansions in Eurasia and trans-Saharan migrations. The lack of gene flow between islands and constant or decreasing effective population sizes suggest that populations were isolated. While some island populations maintained relatively high genetic diversity, with the only detected bottleneck coinciding with the colonization time, other islands with fewer natural resources show the effects of insularity and isolation. Finally, consistent genetic differentiation between eastern and western islands points to a more complex colonization process than previously thought.

Automated summary

In this study, the authors used paleogenomic data from the indigenous people of the Canary Islands to investigate the Prehistory of North Africa and how genetics were influenced by isolation and resource availability. They found that the native population of the Canary Islands showed genetic signatures related to Bronze Age expansions in Eurasia and trans-Saharan migrations, in addition to components already present in Moroccan Neolithic populations. The lack of gene flow between islands and constant or decreasing population sizes indicate isolation. The researchers also observed variations in genetic diversity among islands, with islands with fewer natural resources exhibiting greater effects of insularity and isolation. Lastly, there were consistent genetic differences between eastern and western islands, suggesting a more complex colonization process than previously thought.