The mitochondrial lineage U8a reveals a Paleolithic settlement in the Basque country.

ABSTRACT:

Background

It is customary, in population genetics studies, to consider Basques as the direct descendants of the Paleolithic Europeans. However, until now there has been no irrefutable genetic proof to support this supposition. Even studies based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), an ideal molecule for constructing datable maternal genealogies, have failed to achieve this. It could be that incoming gene flow has replaced the Basque ancient lineages but it could also be that these lineages have not been detected due to a lack of resolution of the Basque mtDNA genealogies. To assess this possibility we analyzed here the mtDNA of a large sample of autochthonous Basques using mtDNA genomic sequencing for those lineages that could not be unequivocally classified by diagnostic RFLP analysis a

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1523212 | biostudies-literature | 2006 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature