Racial Clusters Manifested Again

Two recent autosomal DNA studies (Rosenberg et al. 2002 and Hua Tang et al. 2005) have established a genetic basis for traditional racial categories. Here's another, similar study that adds to the growing body of evidence:

Analisi di 5 microsatelliti nelle tre maggiori isole del Mediterraneo Occidentale

Calò et al. (2001)
Antropo

ABSTRACT: About 360 unrelated individuals from the three largest islands of the Western Mediterranean: Sardinia (Italy), Sicily (Italy) and Corsica (France) were examined. The DNA was amplified by means of PCR and the fragments were separated using a polyacrylamide gel. The microsatellites analysed in the present work are: GABRB3, D15S108, LIPC, D13S115, D13S270. The allele frequencies distribution showed significant differences between the islands. The 5 microsatellites have a high discrimination power (PD) and a high Polymorphic Information Content (PIC). The highest discrimination power was found for GABRB3 and secondarily for D13S115, which also showed the highest values of PIC. The comparison with other populations underlined the populations from the same continent cluster together. Particularly Europeans shows a less genetic heterogeneity than other continents. The results demonstrate that these microsatellites are useful in the study of genetic variability of the human populations and in forensic analysis.



eu = Europeans (N Italy, N Europe, Sardinia, Sicily, Corsica, Basques)
as = Asians (China, Japan and Cambodia)
af = Africans (C.A.R., Gabon, Zaire — mostly Pygmies)
oc = Oceanians (Solomon Islands, New Guinea and Australia)
am = Americans (Indians from Mexico and Brazil)

Link (PDF - in Italian)