RT Journal Article
T1 Matrilineal Heritage in Southern Iberia Reveals Deep Genetic Links between Continents
A1 Hernández De La Fuente, Candelaria Lucía
A1 Calderón Fernández, María Del Rosario
AB Within the Mediterranean Basin, the Iberian Peninsula has been a focus of attraction for several cultures and civiliza- tions from its prehistory and history, making it a target territory for studying human migration patterns and peopling processes using a wide and heterogeneous spectrum of genomic markers. While its Cantabrian fringe represents the most regularly analysed area in terms of its mitochondrial diversity, the absence of monographic surveys on the maternal ge- netic composition of southern Iberians (i.e., Andalusians) is striking. In this work, we present a comprehensive view of various aspects of the human maternal heritage of the autochthonous Andalusian population regarding specific mito- chondrial haplogroups considered key candidates to determine the genetic relationship between Europe and Africa. Data reveal that southern Iberian populations do not have genetically homogeneous mitochondrial DNA profiles, and their observed genetic affinity with north-western African populations represents strong signals of old, sustained and bidirec- tional human movements between the northern and southern shores of the western Mediterranean. Thorough analyses of African mtDNA haplogroups have shown that the most relevant African contribution within Iberian Peninsula could be explained as a consequence of prehistoric events. The subsequent historic episodes helped to strengthen the ties between both shores. In southern Iberia, mitochondrial and other genetic markers show that the Strait of Gibraltar together with its surrounding maritime areas should be considered a bridge between continents. More broadly, the Mediterranean Sea has acted as a transport surface, that is, as a permeable barrier to human migrations from prehistoric and historic times. In conclusion, this research contributes to our knowledge of processes that have shaped the recent human genetic history in the Mediterranean and, more specifically, of the population dynamics that the inhabitants of southern Iberia have experienced with respect to other neighbouring North African populations.
PB Croatian Anthropological Society
SN 0350-6134
YR 2017
FD 2017
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/97900
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/97900
LA eng
NO Hernández CL, Calderón R. Matrilineal Heritage in Southern Iberia Reveals Deep Genetic Links between Continents. Coll Antropol. 2017 Mar;41(1):1-10.
NO Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España)
NO Universidad Complutense de Madrid
DS Docta Complutense
RD 7 jun 2025