Message #61649

[Bianca]

In another genetic study comparing Tunisian Berbers with other Berber groups, the combined data
support the hypothesis that the Berbers are native to North Africa and their ancestors, the first modern man (Homo sapiens) of North Africa, were the founders of the European populations.19


One of the problems of Mediterranean ethnography has been the lack of genetic marker data coming from southern Mediterranean populations. This has led to a lack of comparative genetic studies between northern and southern Mediterraneans. The powerful genetic polymorphisms of the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) system have been used to identify individuals and populations. The HLA system has been used to identify individuals in order to solve paternity suits and also in forensic problems. DNA-typed HLA class II alleles and the discovery of new loci even increase the HLA strength for distinguishing individuals. This HLA discriminating ability may be used to identify populations because particular alleles only appear or are very frequent in certain populations. Particular combinations of neighboring alleles (HLA haplotypes) are in characteristic frequency in certain living populations.


In an effort to increase the data pool for southern Mediterranean populations a study was undertaken of Algerian Berbers and their relationship to other European groups particularly the Basque and Spanish population. Their findings can be summarized below:
 

 

TABLE 4. The nine most frequent estimated extended haplotypes in Algerians and tentative assignment to the original contributing ethnic groups.
 

HLA-A,B,C
 HLA-DRBI-DRB3/4
 HLA-DQAI-DQB1
 HF
(%)



 Possible origin
 
 A1 B57 Cw7 DR7(DRB1*07-DRB4*0101) DQ2(DQA1-0201-DQB1*0201)a 1.9 Iberian-paleo-North African (Basque-Algerian)
 A30 B18 Cw5 DR3(DRB1*0301-DRB3*0202) DQ2(DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201)b 1.5 Iberian-paleo-North


African

 A33 B14 Cw8 DR1(DRB1*0102) DQ5(DQA1*O1-DQB1*0501)c 1.5 Mediterranean
 A2 B35 Cw4 DR11(DRB1*1104-DRB3*0202) DQ7(DQA1*0501-DQB1*0301)d 1.5 Mediterranean
 A2 B35 Cw4 DR3(DRB1*0301-DRB3*0101) DQ2(DQA1*0501-DQB1*0202)e 1.5 Mediterranean (also in Sardinians)
 A3 B49 Cw7 DR11(DRB1*1102-DRB3*0202) DQ7(DQAI*0501-DQB1*0301)f 1.5 Autochrhonous
 A3 B7 Cw7 DR15(DRBI*1501) DQ6(DQA1*0102-DQB1*0602)g 1.5 
 A26 B44 Cb1 DR15(DRB1*1502) DQ6(DQA1*0103-DQB1*0601)f 0.9 Autochrhonous
 A2 B44 Cw5 DR4(DRB1*0402-DRB4*0101) DQ8(DQA1*03-DQB1*0302)f 0.9 Autochrhonous
 A2 B7 Cw7 DR15(DRB1*1501) DQ6(DQA1*0102-DQB1*0602)h 0.9