| title: | Origins of the human genetic diversity in Eurasia: a study of temporal and spatial aspects of branching of the Near East, North and North-East African mtDNA lineages... |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF5807 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| subject: |
1.8. Molecular Biology 1.9. Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | TU Faculty of Biology and Geography |
| head of project: | Ene Metspalu |
| duration: | 01.01.2004 - 31.12.2006 |
| description: | The main aim of this grant proposal is to considerably enhance the current understanding of the colonization of Eurasia by anatomically modern hunmans (AMH) some 50,000 - 70,000 years ago: i.e. in the topic popularly known as the "Out of Eden" problem. One of the main contemporary problems in the phylogeny of AMHs ouside Africa is to understand the time and place of the beginning of their genetic diversification. At present, the absolute majority of researchers agree that modern humas as a species (Homo sapiens sapiens) is about 150000 - 200000 years old and has arisen in Africa. This opinion is supported by the DNA era genetics (maternally inherited mtDNA, biparentally inherited autosomal genes, paternally inherited Y chromosome), as well as by archaeology. It is established that genetic variability among Africans exceedes manyfold that for the rest of mankind. As far as mtDNA is concerned, it became clear that all mtDNA variants of the authochtoneous populations outside Africa derive from one branch of sub-Saharan mtDNA tree, suggesting a rather narrow expansion. However, here is a limit of a consensus. Where and when an initial diversification of Eurasian populations took place, is largely unknown yet. There are several reasons for it - large climatic fluctuations (several general glacial phases), scarcity of palaeoanthropological findings etc., as well as very limited knowledge of the human genetic variability in potentially important regions. Among them are the North Africa, the Near East (incl. Anatolia and the South Caucasus), Iran. It became obvious that without such knowledge, any further progress in the understanding of this central problem is virtually impossible. Here we propose to analyse several thousands of mtDNAs (HVS and extensive coding region search, incl. complete mtDNA resequencing where needed). We shall cover Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi-Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Libya. Analysis of the data to be obtained (phylogenetic trees, coalescence theory) will provide, we hope, by far better undestanding where, when and how the genetic diversity of modern humans outside Africa arose.¿¿¿¿¿ |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Ene Metspalu | TU Faculty of Biology and Geography | sen. researcher | |
| 2. | Jüri Parik | University of Tartu | lektor | |
| 3. | Erwan Pennarun | University of Tartu | doktorant | |
| 4. | Maere Reidla | University of Tartu | vanemteadur | |
| 5. | Kristiina Tambets | EBK | teadur | |
| 6. | Richard Villems | University of Tartu | direktor, professor | |