Evaluating self-declared ancestry of U.S. Americans using autosomal, Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA

Published

December 31, 2010

Author(s)

Peter Vallone, Oscar Leo, Manfred Kayser, Mannis van Oven, Michael Coble, Toni M. Diegoli, Kristiaan J. van der Gaag, Peter D. Knijff

Abstract

The current U.S. population represents an amalgam of individuals from different biogeographic ancestries who arrived on the territory at different times in the history of the territory. However, such admixture is far from being homogeneous and this fact, in addition to cultural and sociological factors, has lead to the commonly-used concept of self-declared ancestry groupings. Understanding the biological validity of such self-identified ancestry groups is essential for genetic epidemiological studies as well as for forensic purposes, and may also reveal clues about biases in the admixture history. In the present study, we have analyzed for the first time in all four major U.S. American groups paternally, maternally and bi-parentally inherited DNA markers sensitive for indicating genetic ancestry on the level of the four geographic i.e. continental regions (Africa, Europe, Asia, and America) that are expected having had contributed to the current U.S. population...

Citation

Human Mutation

Volume

31

Issue

12

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1002/humu.21366

Local Download

Keywords

U.S.A., U.S. Americans, genetic ancestry, self-declared ancestry, autosomal DNA, Y-chromosome, mtDNA

Citation

Vallone, P. , Leo, O. , Kayser, M. , Oven, M. , Coble, M. , Diegoli, T. , van der Gaag, K. and Knijff, P. (2010), Evaluating self-declared ancestry of U.S. Americans using autosomal, Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA, Human Mutation, [online], https://doi.org/10.1002/humu.21366, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=905986 (Accessed April 16, 2024)