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

Human evolution. Y-chromosome clues to human ancestry

J F Brookfield1

  • 1Department of Genetics, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, UK.

Current Biology : CB
|October 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Recent genetic findings support the recent expansion of modern humans out of Africa. Monomorphism in a Y-linked gene mirrors low variability in mitochondrial DNA, reinforcing this human origins theory.

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

Correspondence.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2011
Same author

Forced and natural molecular evolution.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2011
Same author

Population bottlenecks.

Current biology : CB·2001
Same author

Selection on Alu sequences?

Current biology : CB·2001
Same author

An investigation of the cause of low variability on the fourth chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster.

Molecular biology and evolution·2001
Same author

Predicting the future.

Nature·2001

Area of Science:

  • Human Evolution
  • Genetics
  • Population Biology

Background:

  • The Out of Africa theory proposes recent human migration from Africa.
  • Genetic diversity studies are crucial for understanding human population history.
  • Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) shows low variability, suggesting a recent bottleneck or expansion.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate Y-linked gene variability in modern humans.
  • To compare Y-linked gene variability with existing mtDNA data.
  • To assess the impact of these findings on the recent Out of Africa model.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of a specific region of the Y-chromosome.
  • Examination of genetic polymorphism in the studied Y-linked gene.
  • Comparative analysis with established human mitochondrial DNA variability data.

Main Results:

  • A specific part of the Y-linked gene was found to be monomorphic across the studied population.
  • This monomorphism indicates very low genetic diversity in this Y-chromosome region.
  • The observed pattern is consistent with the low variability previously reported for human mitochondrial DNAs.

Conclusions:

  • The genetic monomorphism in the Y-linked gene strengthens the evidence for a recent expansion of modern humans from Africa.
  • This finding aligns with and supports the Out of Africa model of human origins.
  • Combined Y-linked and mtDNA data provide a more robust genetic picture of recent human dispersals.

Related Experiment Videos