The Tuareg of the Fezzan region (Libya) are characterized by an extremely high frequency (61%) of haplogroup H1, a mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup that is common in all Western European populations. To define how and when H1 spread from Europe to North Africa up to the Central Sahara, in Fezzan, we investigated the complete mitochondrial genomes of eleven Libyan Tuareg belonging to H1. Coalescence time estimates suggest an arrival of the European H1 mtDNAs at about 8,000–9,000 years ago, while phylogenetic analyses reveal three novel H1 branches, termed H1v, H1w and H1x, which appear to be specific for North African populations, but whose frequencies can be extremely different even in relatively close Tuareg villages. Overall, these findings support the scenario of an arrival of haplogroup H1 in North Africa from Iberia at the beginning of the Holocene, as a consequence of the improvement in climate conditions after the Younger Dryas cold snap, followed by in situ formation of local H1 sub-haplogroups. This process of autochthonous differentiation continues in the Libyan Tuareg who, probably due to isolation and recent founder events, are characterized by village-specific maternal mtDNA lineages.
Sarah Tishkoff earlier discovered Eurasians, Mozabites and Fula share Lactose persistance mutations(adults able to digest milk) and some nuclear DNA ancestry so finding more similarity with the Tuareg is no surprise. The Tuareg also have a Y-chromosome relationship to the Beja of Sudan.
Skin color is genetically insignificant and according to Nina Jablonski, skin Melanin concentration can change from light to dark or dark to light in only 100 generations(2000-2500yrs) and can vary with diet.
At 5:00, H.L. Gates,Jr. sees a slave/servant who is owned by his Tuareg Master and at 3:40 a Fulani is shown wearing $4000 Gold Earrings.
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Nina Jablonski is talking pure nonsense out of her behind when claiming that:
quote: Skin color is genetically insignificant and according to Nina Jablonski, skin Melanin concentration can change from light to dark or dark to light in only 100 generations(2000-2500yrs) and can vary with diet.
Because she has provided no direct evidence of this. In fact, she actually was trying to breathe life to the hypothetical "caucasian" myth in ascribing the features of some dark south Asian peoples as being the result of "white (caucasians) turning dark", which is pure and absolute nonsense. Because this statement was made as part of a discussion of the original migrations of people into Asia. Of course South Asia was one of the first places of human migration into Asia. Hence, these aboriginal black folk were not whites. Not to mention neither were the aboriginal populations who migrated through the north of India and settled central and North Asia. So trying to explain the features among the dark south Asian populations as somehow the results of "whites turning black" is pure absurd nonsense. To say such a thing is tantamount to claiming that the already black aboriginal people of South Asia disappeared and were replaced by whites from the North who then turned back to being black.... So stupid no self respecting anthropologist would even suggest it.... but yet that is what she is claiming.
Likewise, if white European females have made an impact on the genetic history of some black north African populations, then how on earth can anyone claim that therefore skin color in these same populations is purely the results of whites turning dark? That is a contradiction of the facts. If there was a mixture then the result would be a mixture of phenotypes and skin color as a result. Which is obviously the case among many north African populations, Berber and otherwise.
NonProphet Member # 17745
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Linking the sub-Saharan and West Eurasian gene pools: maternal and paternal heritage of the Tuareg nomads from the African Sahel
The Tuareg presently live in the Sahara and the Sahel. Their ancestors are commonly believed to be the Garamantes of the Libyan Fezzan, ever since it was suggested by authors of antiquity. Biological evidence, based on classical genetic markers, however, indicates kinship with the Beja of Eastern Sudan. Our study of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences and Y chromosome SNPs of three different southern Tuareg groups from Mali, Burkina Faso and the Republic of Niger reveals a West Eurasian-North African composition of their gene pool. The data show that certain genetic lineages could not have been introduced into this population earlier than ~9000 years ago whereas local expansions establish a minimal date at around 3000 years ago. Some of the mtDNA haplogroups observed in the Tuareg population were involved in the post-Last Glacial Maximum human expansion from Iberian refugia towards both Europe and North Africa. Interestingly, no Near Eastern mtDNA lineages connected with the Neolithic expansion have been observed in our population sample. On the other hand, the Y chromosome SNPs data show that the paternal lineages can very probably be traced to the Near Eastern Neolithic demic expansion towards North Africa, a period that is otherwise concordant with the above-mentioned mtDNA expansion. The time frame for the migration of the Tuareg towards the African Sahel belt overlaps that of early Holocene climatic changes across the Sahara (from the optimal greening ~10 000 YBP to the extant aridity beginning at ~6000 YBP) and the migrations of other African nomadic peoples in the area.
The Tuaregs are a semi-nomadic pastoralist people of northwest Africa. Their origins are still a matter of debate due to the scarcity of genetic and historical data. Here we report the first data on the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genetic characterization of a Tuareg sample from Fezzan (Libyan Sahara). A total of 129 individuals from two villages in the Acacus region were genetically analysed. Both the hypervariable regions and the coding region of mtDNA were investigated. Phylogeographic investigation was carried out in order to reconstruct human migratory shifts in central Sahara, and to shed light on the origin of the Libyan Tuaregs. Our results clearly show low genetic diversity in the sample, possibly due to genetic drift and founder effect associated with the separation of Libyan Tuaregs from an ancestral population. Furthermore, the maternal genetic pool of the Libyan Tuaregs is characterized by a major "European” component shared with the Berbers that could be traced to the Iberian Peninsula, as well as a minor ‘south Saharan’ contribution possibly linked to both Eastern African and Near Eastern populations.
The Tuareg of the Fezzan region (Libya) are characterized by an extremely high frequency (61%) of haplogroup H1, a mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup that is common in all Western European populations. To define how and when H1 spread from Europe to North Africa up to the Central Sahara, in Fezzan, we investigated the complete mitochondrial genomes of eleven Libyan Tuareg belonging to H1. Coalescence time estimates suggest an arrival of the European H1 mtDNAs at about 8,000–9,000 years ago, while phylogenetic analyses reveal three novel H1 branches, termed H1v, H1w and H1x, which appear to be specific for North African populations, but whose frequencies can be extremely different even in relatively close Tuareg villages. Overall, these findings support the scenario of an arrival of haplogroup H1 in North Africa from Iberia at the beginning of the Holocene, as a consequence of the improvement in climate conditions after the Younger Dryas cold snap, followed by in situ formation of local H1 sub-haplogroups. This process of autochthonous differentiation continues in the Libyan Tuareg who, probably due to isolation and recent founder events, are characterized by village-specific maternal mtDNA lineages.
Evergreen Writes: If mtDNA lineage H1 did date to the early holocene in NW Africa one would expect to find downstream, African specific sub-lineages of H1. You do not find such lineages, implying a more recent arrival of H1 to NW Africa. Also of interest, we do not find associated Iberian y-chromosome lineages. This assymetrical pattern better supports African males with y chromosome Hg E lineages taking Iberian or south west European mates. Probably Carthaginian period to the period of the "White Slave Trade" of the Ottomon Empire.
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