Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Genetic diversity in the Caucasus

G Barbujani1, I S Nasidze, G N Whitehead

  • 1Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Padova, Italy.

Human Biology
|August 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Genetic variation in the Caucasus is shaped by linguistic and ethnic divisions, not major geographic barriers. Population structure primarily results from restricted gene flow due to these subdivisions.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A western route of prehistoric human migration from Africa into the Iberian Peninsula.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2019
Same author

Demographic history and adaptation account for clock gene diversity in humans.

Heredity·2016
Same author

Reasoning has become a luxury.

Translational medicine @ UniSa·2014
Same author

Nine things to remember about human genome diversity.

Tissue antigens·2013
Same author

What do languages tell us about human microevolution?

Trends in ecology & evolution·2011
Same author

Comparing models on the genealogical relationships among Neandertal, Cro-Magnoid and modern Europeans by serial coalescent simulations.

Heredity·2008

Area of Science:

  • Population Genetics
  • Human Evolution
  • Anthropology

Background:

  • The Caucasus region exhibits extreme linguistic diversity.
  • Understanding genetic variation in this area is crucial for human evolutionary studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the patterns of genetic variation in Caucasus populations.
  • To determine the factors influencing genetic differentiation in the region.

Main Methods:

  • Spatial autocorrelation analysis of 31 alleles in 793 samples.
  • Mapping interpolated allele frequencies.
  • Analyzing genetic boundaries and their correlation with geographic and linguistic features.

Main Results:

  • Significant geographic structure was observed in allele frequencies.
  • Gene frequency distributions were often patchy, indicating population subdivision and isolation by distance.
  • Genetic boundaries frequently coincided with ethnic and linguistic group divisions, but not major mountain ranges.
  • Restricted gene flow due to linguistic or ethnic subdivision was identified as the primary driver of genetic structure.

Conclusions:

  • The genetic makeup of Caucasus populations is predominantly influenced by social factors like language and ethnicity, rather than physical geography.
  • No evidence supports a widespread population expansion event, such as Neolithic agricultural diffusion, in this region.

Related Experiment Videos