Polymorphic Alu insertions and genetic diversity among African populations. Publication Date: 01-OCT-05 Publication Title: Human Biology Author: Herrera, Rene J.
"Egypt, which presents the highest number of loci in Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium, is of particular interest in light of the notoriously heterogeneous genetic composition of this region as a result of past and present migrations. Historically, Egypt has been the recipient of constant genetic flow from northeastern sub-Saharan Africa by means of the Nile River. Moreover, a number of incoming migrations, such as the Middle Eastern penetrations during the introduction of agriculture to Africa as well as later occupations by the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs, have all contributed to a complex genetic landscape in this area (Lucotte and Mercier 2003)."
And
"The population of Egypt examined in this study was collected in the Nile delta and represents individuals of Arab, Berber, and possibly ancient Egyptian descent....The observed affinity between Egypt and Europe might represent a North African signature in the European genetic landscape as a result of historical migrations originating in Africa and reaching Europe through the Levantine corridor (Luis et al. 2004) or the Strait of Gibraltar. Conversely but not exclusively, the European genetic influence on North Africa may be the result of ancient back-flows into the southern Mediterranean basin and/or the consequence of the more recent Minoan, Greek, and Roman penetrations into the area. In light of the proposed Central Asian origin of extant European populations (Semino et al. 2000; Wells et al. 2001), the observed close association between Egypt and Indian groups in the phylogenetic trees may represent a manifestation of this Central Asian footprint in the European genetic background. Furthermore, the fact that in both phylograms (Figure 3) the Kenyan and Rwandan populations (Rwanda in particular) are the most closely related to the Egyptian group attests to the role played by the Nile River as an avenue for genetic flow between groups located to the north and south of the Sahara Desert. Previous analyses with the HpaI mtDNA marker have also suggested the occurrence of south-north gene flow through the Nile valley between sub-Saharan populations and northeastern Africa (Fox 1997).
Once again the study confirms African genetic mixture in Europeans, while affirming the close affinity of Egypt with sub-Saharan East Africa. Anyone have any comments? I'll have the full text in my yahoo group.
Posts: 2596 | From: Vicksburg | Registered: Feb 2006
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Moreover, a number of incoming migrations, such as the Middle Eastern penetrations during the introduction of agriculture to Africa as well as later occupations by the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs, have all contributed to a complex genetic landscape in this area (Lucotte and Mercier 2003)."
This may give a misleading picture about the emergence of agriculture in the Nile Valley. There is no evidence whatsoever of agriculture being introduced into the Nile Valley by incoming "Middle Easterners".
Posts: 5964 | Registered: Jan 2005
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Moreover, a number of incoming migrations, such as the Middle Eastern penetrations during the introduction of agriculture to Africa as well as later occupations by the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs, have all contributed to a complex genetic landscape in this area (Lucotte and Mercier 2003)."
This may give a misleading picture about the emergence of agriculture in the Nile Valley. There is no evidence whatsoever of agriculture being introduced into the Nile Valley by incoming "Middle Easterners".
I believe the author cited old data for her suggestion. I believe the opinion now is that Delta pre-dynastic Egyptians cultivated foreign crops using indigenous agricultural techniques. The author is correct in stating that *DELTA* Egyptians received geneflow from later incursions by Greeks and Romans. Also, "Arabs" and "Berbers" were used amongst the Egyptian sample.
Posts: 2596 | From: Vicksburg | Registered: Feb 2006
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Moreover, a number of incoming migrations, such as the Middle Eastern penetrations during the introduction of agriculture to Africa as well as later occupations by the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs, have all contributed to a complex genetic landscape in this area (Lucotte and Mercier 2003)."
This may give a misleading picture about the emergence of agriculture in the Nile Valley. There is no evidence whatsoever of agriculture being introduced into the Nile Valley by incoming "Middle Easterners".
I believe the author cited old data for her suggestion. I believe the opinion now is that Delta pre-dynastic Egyptians cultivated foreign crops using indigenous agricultural techniques. The author is correct in stating that *DELTA* Egyptians received geneflow from later incursions by Greeks and Romans. Also, "Arabs" and "Berbers" were used amongst the Egyptian sample.
Word up on the new studies, man. Doesn't the very practice of agriculture in the Nile valley actually PREDATE that of the Middle East by a couple of ky? I heard the nile valley folks started cultivating grains and **it like 10'000 BC, but then something happened (sahara drying up again) and there was a large hiatus in agriculture until the Badarian. I found it on wikipedia, get back to me on that.
Anyways, something key in the abstract "individuals of Arab, Berber, and possibly ancient Egyptian descent" so it's good they don't consider Arabs and ancient egyptians to be one in the same. I'm not saying that the core, aboriginal black population of egypt was wholesale massacred by "barbarous arab hordes" or they fled, I'm just saying they was a hell of a lot of mixing starting from the Greek takeover that was only to increase exponentially....
Posts: 447 | From: Somewhere son... | Registered: Sep 2006
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quote:Doesn't the very practice of agriculture in the Nile valley actually PREDATE that of the Middle East by a couple of ky?
Not agriculture, by most estimates, but possibly cattle domestication.
The thing about agriculture in the Nile Valley is that a lot of the crops are Eurasian so certainly there is a SouthWest Asian influence here.
Posts: 15202 | Registered: Jun 2004
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I believe the author cited old data for her suggestion. I believe the opinion now is that Delta pre-dynastic Egyptians cultivated foreign crops using indigenous agricultural techniques. The author is correct in stating that *DELTA* Egyptians received geneflow from later incursions by Greeks and Romans. Also, "Arabs" and "Berbers" were used amongst the Egyptian sample.
With respect to the highlighted piece, I have no doubts about that [as I do about agriculture]. Considering that it looks like the study was published in 2005, the author(s) should get with the program in terms of up-to-date material. That said, of course it goes without saying, that this shouldn't deter from looking into the genealogical value of the study.
Posts: 5964 | Registered: Jan 2005
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Word up on the new studies, man. Doesn't the very practice of agriculture in the Nile valley actually PREDATE that of the Middle East by a couple of ky?
The "Neolithic" agricultural economy of the Nile Valley, that is, in what is now considered Egypt, was later than that of "SW Asia", and considered to be of a different nature, meaning 'independent' of the "SW Asian" Neolithic development. Interestingly, for the latter, it was sparked by flow of people from the Nile Valley into the Levant. Recalling...
“Later there is some movement into Africa after the domestication of plants and Ovacaprines, which happened in the Near East nearly 2000 years before it occurred in Egypt (Hassan 1988, Wetterstrom 1993). Early Neolithic levels in **northern** Egypt contain the Levantine domesticates, and show some influence in material culture as well (Kobusiewicz 1992). Ovacaprines appear in the western desert before the Nile valley proper (Wendorf and Schild 2001). However, it is significant that ancient Egyptian words for the major Near Eastern domesticates - Sheep, goat, barley, and wheat - are not loans from either Semitic, Sumerian, or Indo-European. This argues against a mass settler colonization (at replacement levels) of the Nile valley from the Near East at this time. This is in contrast with some words for domesticates in some early Semitic languages, which are likely Sumerian loan words (Diakonoff 1981).
This evidence indicates that northern Nile valley peoples apparently incorporated the Near Eastern domesticates into a Nilotic foraging subsistence tradition on their own terms (Wetterstrom 1993). There was apparently no “Neolithic revolution” brought by settler colonization, but a gradual process of neolithicization (Midant-Reynes 2000). (Also some of those emigrating may have been carrying Haplotype V, descendents of earlier migrants from the Nile valley, given the postulated “Mesolithic” time of the M35 lineage emigration). It is more probable that the current VII and VIII frequencies, greatest in northern Egypt, reflect in the main (but not solely) movements during the Islamic period (Nebel et al. 2002), when some deliberate settlement of Arab tribes was done in Africa, and the effects of polygamy. There must also have been some impact of Near Easterners who settled in the delta at various times in ancient Egypt (Gardiner 1961). More recent movements, in the last two centuries, must not be forgotten in this assessment..." - Keita and Boyce.
Moreover, a number of incoming migrations, such as the Middle Eastern penetrations during the introduction of agriculture to Africa as well as later occupations by the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs, have all contributed to a complex genetic landscape in this area (Lucotte and Mercier 2003)."
This may give a misleading picture about the emergence of agriculture in the Nile Valley. There is no evidence whatsoever of agriculture being introduced into the Nile Valley by incoming "Middle Easterners".
Indeed, perhaps it was the Nilotes who journeyed to west Asia and brought back the crops with them.
Posts: 7087 | From: Fallbrook, CA | Registered: Mar 2004
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Moreover, a number of incoming migrations, such as the Middle Eastern penetrations during the introduction of agriculture to Africa as well as later occupations by the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs, have all contributed to a complex genetic landscape in this area (Lucotte and Mercier 2003)."
This may give a misleading picture about the emergence of agriculture in the Nile Valley. There is no evidence whatsoever of agriculture being introduced into the Nile Valley by incoming "Middle Easterners".
Indeed, perhaps it was the Nilotes who journeyed to west Asia and brought back the crops with them.
As I said, agriculture in the Nile Valley was an 'independent' development from that of 'SW Asia'. There is no evidence to the contrary.
Posts: 5964 | Registered: Jan 2005
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Moreover, a number of incoming migrations, such as the Middle Eastern penetrations during the introduction of agriculture to Africa as well as later occupations by the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs, have all contributed to a complex genetic landscape in this area (Lucotte and Mercier 2003)."
This may give a misleading picture about the emergence of agriculture in the Nile Valley. There is no evidence whatsoever of agriculture being introduced into the Nile Valley by incoming "Middle Easterners".
Indeed, perhaps it was the Nilotes who journeyed to west Asia and brought back the crops with them.
As I said, agriculture in the Nile Valley was an 'independent' development from that of 'SW Asia'. There is no evidence to the contrary.
I think you may have misunderstood me. That the Kemites (Kememu?) developed their agricultural techniques in situ (i.e. in Africa) is true; however, as everyone agrees, the crops they used originated from the Near East.
Posts: 7087 | From: Fallbrook, CA | Registered: Mar 2004
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I think you may have misunderstood me. That the Kemites (Kememu?) developed their agricultural techniques in situ (i.e. in Africa) is true; however, as everyone agrees, the crops they used originated from the Near East.
I am not following you. In one breath, you claim to acknowledge that pre-dynastic Nile Valley Delta region developed their agriculture 'independently', and in the next, you ambiguously claim that the "crops" originated from "Near East". Why would they need to develop agriculture when they can simply import the crops from "Near East"? Did they not have their own 'crops'?
Posts: 5964 | Registered: Jan 2005
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