DNA interpopulational variation in Siberian indigenous populations: The mountain Altai

J McComb; M H Crawford; L Osipova; T Karaphet; O Posukh; M S Schanfield

doi:10.1002/(SICI)1520-6300(1996)8:5<599::AID-AJHB5>3.0.CO;2-R

DNA interpopulational variation in Siberian indigenous populations: The mountain Altai

Am J Hum Biol. 1996;8(5):599-607. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6300(1996)8:5<599::AID-AJHB5>3.0.CO;2-R.

Authors

J McComb¹, M H Crawford¹, L Osipova², T Karaphet², O Posukh², M S Schanfield³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045-2110.
² Laboratory of Human Molecular and Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.
³ Analytical Genetic Testing Center, Denver, Colorado 80231.

PMID: 28561335
DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6300(1996)8:5<599::AID-AJHB5>3.0.CO;2-R

Abstract

Using mtDNA and classical markers, previous studies have found that the Altai are genetically divergent from the rest of Siberia. This study uses five variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) loci to examine the relationship of the Altai to other indigenous Siberian populations. Frequencies of VNTR fragments have been obtained from the DNA of 95 individuals living in the Altai village of Mendur-Sokkon. A Kolmogorov-Smirnov test shows that the Altai are significantly different from the Evenki village of Surinda at loci D11S129 and D20S15. In addition, the Altai are also statistically different from the Evenki village of Poligus at locus D11S129. The test reveals no differences between the Ket village of Sulamai and Mendur-Sokkon. The G_ST value obtained for Siberia is significant and is almost equal to that found for the G_ST of American ethnic groups. The significance of the G_ST values was verified through random resampling of the data. The G_ST value is an effect of the relative isolation of the Evenki as well as gene flow into the Kets and Altai; this is shown in a plot of r_n versus mean heterozygosity. Although genetic differentiation between the Siberian groups is significant, an R matrix analysis, which uses American and Siberian ethnic groups, shows that the Siberians form a tight cluster. When the R matrix, G_ST , and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov results are combined, the Altai appear to be genetically different among Siberian populations, yet they are not as genetically divergent as previous studies have shown. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.