Y chromosome diversity, human expansion, drift, and cultural evolution.

ABSTRACT: The relative importance of the roles of adaptation and chance in determining genetic diversity and evolution has received attention in the last 50 years, but our understanding is still incomplete. All statements about the relative effects of evolutionary factors, especially drift, need confirmation by strong demographic observations, some of which are easier to obtain in a species like ours. Earlier quantitative studies on a variety of data have shown that the amount of genetic differentiation in living human populations indicates that the role of positive (or directional) selection is modest. We observe geographic peculiarities with some Y chromosome mutants, most probably due to a drift-related phenomenon called the surfing effect. We also compare the overall genetic diversity in Y chrom

SUBMITTER: Chiaroni J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2787129 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature