Molecular Biology and Human Diversity

About this book

Considerable attention is now being paid to the use of molecular evidence in studies of human diversity and origins. Much of the early work was based on evidence from mitochondrial DNA, but this has now been supplemented by important new information from nuclear DNA from both the Y chromosomes and the autosomes. The bulk of the material available is also from living populations, but this is now being extended by the study of DNA from archaic populations. The underlying models used in interpreting this evidence are developments of the neutral theory of molecular evolution, but also consider the possible role of selection. This volume brings together this new evidence from an international group of research workers. It will be an important reference for researchers in human biology, molecular biology and genetics alike.

Contents

1. Mitochondrial DNA in ancient and modern humans E. Hagelberg; 2. Digital DNA typing of human paternal lineages M. A. Jobling, N. Bouzekri, N. Fretwell, G. A. Dover and A. J. Jeffreys; 3. Minisatellites as tools for population genetic analysis J. Flint, J. Bond, R. M. Harding and J. B. Clegg; 4. DNA fingerprinting: development of a technology and its application to the study of human populations A. P. Ryskov, M. I. Prosnyak, N. S. Kupriyanova, E. K. Khusnutdinova, I. M. Khidiatova, V.V. Kalnin, O.V. Kalnina, K. B. Bulkayeva and S. A. Limborska; 5. Kinship, breeding and matching probabilities N. E. Morton and J. Teague; 6. Using the coalescent to interpret gene trees R. M. Harding; 7. Some attempts at measuring natural selection by malaria A. V. S. Hill; 8. AIDA: geographical patterns of DNA diversity investigated by autocorrelation statistics G. Barbujani and G. Bertorelle; 9. Mitochondrial DNA sequences in Europe: an insight into population history J. Betranpetit, F. Calafell, D. Comas, A. Perez-Lezaun and E. Mateu; 10. Palaeolithic and neolithic contributions to the European mitochondrial gene pool B. Sykes, H. Corte-Real and M. Richards; 11. The molecular diversity of the Niokholo Mandenkalu from Eastern Senegal: and insight into West Africa genetic theory L. Excoffier, E. S . Poloni, S. Santachiara-Benerecetti, O. Semino, and A. Langaney; 12. The peopling of Madagascar H. Soodyall, T. Jenkins, R. Hewitt, A. Krause, M. Stoneking; 13. Molecular perspectives on the colonisation of the Pacific J. J. Martinson; 14. Population ancestry on Tristan da Cunha - the evidence of the individual D. F. Roberts and H. Soodyall; 15. Linguistic divergence and genetic evolution: molecular perspectives from the New World R. H. Ward; 16. Allelic sequence diversity at the human b-globulin locus S. M. Fullerton; 17. A nuclear perspective on human evolution K. K. Kidd and J. R. Kidd; 19. Contrasting gene trees and population trees of the evolution of modern humans N. Saitou; 19. Methods and models for understanding human diversity H. C. Harpending, J. H. Relethford and S. T. Sherry; Index.

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