Lev Zhivotovsky - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Lev Zhivotovsky
Russian Journal of Genetics, Sep 1, 2017
In this study, 12 samples of chum salmon from the southern and central parts of Primorye were stu... more In this study, 12 samples of chum salmon from the southern and central parts of Primorye were studied with ten microsatellite loci. All studied localities of chum salmon of Primorye formed three main genetically different groups: (1) the Narva-Barabashevka-Ryazanovka cluster of southern Primorye, (2) Kievka River, and (3) Avvakumovka River. The revealed genetic heterogeneity of chum salmon showed clear population structure in accordance with the geographical location of the samples. The study suggests that, for the purposes of artificial reproduction of chum salmon, it is desirable to perform egg planting with regard to the described population structure of chum salmon of Primorye.
Russian Journal of Marine Biology, Mar 1, 2016
The white char, Salvelinus albus Glubokovsky, 1977, which was originally described from the Kamch... more The white char, Salvelinus albus Glubokovsky, 1977, which was originally described from the Kamchatka River basin, and the white char from Lake Kronotsky, Kamchatka Peninsula, are believed to be identical taxonomically and represent two reproductively isolated populations of the same species. However, the data on their molecular divergence show that they may differ at a higher, probably sub species, level. This suggests the necessity of deeper complex studies of white char and other closely related char species and forms.
Genetics Research, Oct 1, 2000
Genetic differences among populations exposed to selection form barriers against genetic exchange... more Genetic differences among populations exposed to selection form barriers against genetic exchange by mortality among hybrids. The strength of such a selection barrier, with which one (recipient) population reacts against immigration from another (donor) population, may be measured as the cumulative mean fitness of hybrids and their descendants relative to the fitness of the recipient population. Previous work analysed a case of weak selection with pairwise epistatic interactions by assuming small genetic distance between two populations in contact. The present study allows large genetic difference between the donor and recipient populations and considers weak multilocus selection with arbitrary epistatic interactions between two or more linked loci. An approximate analytical expression for the barrier strength is obtained as an expansion in which the strength of selection plays the role of a small parameter. It is shown that allele frequencies and gametic linkage disequilibria contribute in different ways to the strength of the selection barrier.
Journal of Genetics, Aug 1, 1998
Observations show that evolutionary processes often relate to multilocus epistatic selection. Her... more Observations show that evolutionary processes often relate to multilocus epistatic selection. Here we develop further the approach suggested earlier by Zhivotovsky and Gavrilets to admit arbitrary multilocus epistasis. The obtained dynamic equations for allelic frequencies and gametic disequilibria are represented in a simple form. If selection is weak, this result extends Wright's evolutionary equation to the case of cis-trans effects and sex differences in both recombination rates and genotypic fitnesses. Additionally to Wright's equations for allelic frequencies, we derive equations for the gametic disequilibrium terms. We also give a general expression for the gametic disequilibria in a quasi-linkage state,
Russian Journal of Marine Biology, Jul 1, 2017
⎯The chum salmon of the Amur River (the mainland part of the Far East) and the Poronai River (Ter... more ⎯The chum salmon of the Amur River (the mainland part of the Far East) and the Poronai River (Terpeniya Bay, Sakhalin Island) are historically related to one another, as the drainage basins of these rivers are the remnants of a formerly single river system, the Paleoamur, which existed when Sakhalin Island was a part of the continent. Both river populations of chum salmon consist of the early-run and late-run ecological forms (seasonal races), which are also referred to as the summer and autumn races. They are reproductively isolated from each other due to their spawning at different times and in different types of spawning grounds. To assess the direction, pattern, and degree of divergence between these chum salmon races in the both river fragments since the Paleoamur, it is necessary to compare them using two types of traits: selectively neutral DNA markers and morphological and physiological traits, variations in which may have an adaptive value. For this, we have studied chum salmon from both rivers in terms of microsatellite DNA markers, body counts and measurements, body weight, and fecundity. Both in the Amur River and in the Poronai River, the autumn race of chum salmon prevails over the summer race in body length and weight, fecundity, number of pyloric caeca, and several other meristic traits. The intra-basin differences between the races are much more pronounced in the Amur chum salmon. The inter-race differences in microsatellites are also greater in the Amur chum salmon compared to the Poronai chum salmon. Using microsatellites, three levels of differentiation have been revealed: (1) between the basins of the Amur and Poronai rivers, (2) between the races within each of the river basins, (3) and between population samples within each race of each basin. A hypothesis is proposed that the currently existing races of chum salmon in the Amur and Poronai rivers have evolved since the breakup of the Paleoamur, and the intra-basin divergence of the races started in the Amur River earlier than in the Poronai River. An analysis of our own data and the published data suggests that the adaptation of the seasonal races of chum salmon to the conditions of their spawning grounds is determined by a complex of morphological and physiological traits, including the number of pyloric caeca, which is an adaptive and highly heritable trait associated with the incubation temperature of the water.
Biology Bulletin
Abstract A new index, phyto-indicator of variation of environment (PHIVE), is introduced based on... more Abstract A new index, phyto-indicator of variation of environment (PHIVE), is introduced based on the normalized lengths of the intersection of the amplitudes (intervals) of an ecological scale of all plant species that grow in a given habitat. It reflects the diversity of niches colonized by plants at the given point in time. The index can be applied to each scale separately or can represent averaged data for a number of scales. The method is suitable for various habitats (from relatively homogeneous to extremely heterogeneous ones), which is demonstrated through the example of the ecological scales developed by D.N. Tsyganov. It is shown that there is no causal relationship between the PHIVE value and the number of species in the site, i.e. they evaluate different features of diversity. The PHIVE can be used to assess changes in plant habitats on par with other parameters of the population structure.
Biology Bulletin, 2020
A procedure for dividing species into ecogeographic units (EGUs) and ecogeographic aggregations (... more A procedure for dividing species into ecogeographic units (EGUs) and ecogeographic aggregations (EGAs) identified according to data on habitat gradients and distinctive features of migration (gene flows) is discussed. It is noted that every EGU or EGA can be regarded as a unit of reserves, reproduction, exploitation, or protection.
В июне – июле 2011 г. и июле 2012 г. представителями трех организаций: Полярного на-учно-исследов... more В июне – июле 2011 г. и июле 2012 г. представителями трех организаций: Полярного на-учно-исследовательского института морского рыбного хозяйства и океанографии им. Н. М. Книповича (Мурманск), Института общей генетики им. Н. И. Вавилова Россий-ской академии наук (Москва), Московского государственного университета им. М. В. Ломо-носова были проведены комплексные экспедиции на меромиктическое реликтовое оз. Мо-гильное (Баренцево море, о-в Кильдин). В задачи экспедиций входило исследование уровня стабильности оз. Могильного и выяснение состояния кильдинской трески – реликтовой и единственной в мире популяции трески, обитающей длительное время в условиях полной репродуктивной изоляции в условиях малого водоема с неустойчивым гидрологическим и гидробиологическим режимом. Определялись температурно-соленостные параметры вод озера, состояние ложа, морфометрические показатели озера, водный режим. Все работы с кильдинской треской проводились с кратковременным ее изъятием из водной среды для вз...
Russian Journal of Ecology, 2019
We suggest the concept of ecogeographic aggregations (EGAs) of plant species, according to which ... more We suggest the concept of ecogeographic aggregations (EGAs) of plant species, according to which populations (ecogeographic units, EGUs) of each species are combined into spatially close groups (aggregations) if they are adjacent to each other and live under similar conditions. The specification of EGA is based on the analysis of thematic geographic maps (of soils, topography, etc.). The delineated areas occupied by multispecies ecogeographic aggregations can be candidates for the creation of new protected natural areas. This idea is illustrated by the example of 38 rare plant species of the Republic of Mari El. It is shown that the populations of these species can be assigned to 11 ecogeographic aggregations, only some of which are included in the existing protected natural areas of the Republic.
Russian Journal of Genetics, 2016
Microsatellite alleles are detected by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) that provides a manifold i... more Microsatellite alleles are detected by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) that provides a manifold increase in the number of copies (amplification) of a given DNA fragment. The fragment visualization can be reached by two different methods. These are fragment analysis by capillary electrophoresis in denaturing gel and fragment separation in non denaturing gel with subsequent gel staining. The first method is more accurate and automated, but expensive. The second method is much cheaper but less convenient. It requires manual processing and is presumably less accurate. In this study, we present the results of comparison of the allele typing at nine microsatellite loci using these two methods for one of the species of Pacific salmon, sock eye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka Walbaum. In most cases, both methods give identical fragment sizes or with a constant difference if the alleles are relatively small (not larger than 200-220 bp).
Russian Journal of Marine Biology, 2017
⎯This study focuses on the strategy for the conservation of masu salmon, Oncorhynchus masou, in t... more ⎯This study focuses on the strategy for the conservation of masu salmon, Oncorhynchus masou, in the northern part of the species range (via the masu populations in Sakhalin Oblast), based on data of its population structure. It is shown that masu populations that inhabit different rivers genetically differ from each other in allele frequencies at microsatellite markers. In the Naiba River basin, at least two genetically distinct masu populations exist: in the upper reaches and in a tributary, the Bolshoy Takoy River. The masu populations on Iturup Island significantly differ from those on Sakhalin Island; within Sakhalin, the masu salmon from the Chernaya River in the southwestern part of the island is genetically distinct from the southeastern Sakhalin and Aniva Bay populations. The genetic diversity of Iturup populations is substantially lower than that on Sakhalin, probably due to their small sizes. The measures for the conservation and recovery of masu salmon populations should be based primarily on their own genetic resources, or, in the case of a lack of spawners, on the base populations of their ecological/geographical region. In the latter case, masu populations of large rivers can be considered as base ones: for southeastern Sakhalin, this is masu salmon of the Naiba River; for Aniva Bay, this is masu salmon of the Lyutoga River. Transplantation of fish, fertilized eggs, or any other genetic material from a population that is different genetically and inhabits the waters with different ecological gradients should be strongly restricted. The formosan masu salmon from Taiwan Island is studied as an example of a strict genetic isolate.
Russian Journal of Genetics, 2011
A set often microsatellite loci enabling fairly accurate identification of the chum salmon indivi... more A set often microsatellite loci enabling fairly accurate identification of the chum salmon individuals from geographically distant groups was designed at the Laboratory of Genetic Identification, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences. However, identification of the individuals from closely located basins performed using these loci was not sufficiently precise. The present study was focused on the improvement of the resolution of the method through increasing the number microsatellite loci used. In this study, typing of additional microsatellite loci of chum salmon and evaluation of the change of the degree of identification with the increase of the number ofmicrosatellite loci used is described. It was shown that the identification accuracy permanently increased with the increase of the number of microsatellite markers used.
Biology Bulletin, 2020
The ontogenetic spectrum registers the age states of plants and is a sensitive population-based i... more The ontogenetic spectrum registers the age states of plants and is a sensitive population-based indicator of environmental changes. This is a review of population-ontogenetic methods for studies of plant populations (cenopopulations) based on the ontogenetic spectra. New age indices-the youth index and the maturity index-are introduced. For the recovery index, some boundaries for the levels of self-maintenance of plant populations are suggested.
Human Genetics, 2009
Science, 2004
Ongoing Controversy over Romanov Remains THE FIELD OF ANCIENT DNA ANALYSIS HAS faced numerous obs... more Ongoing Controversy over Romanov Remains THE FIELD OF ANCIENT DNA ANALYSIS HAS faced numerous obstacles and setbacks in its path to legitimacy. Yet another setback was showcased in the news story "Buried, recovered, lost again? The Romanovs may never rest" (R. Stone, News Focus, 6 Feb., p. 753). Much was made of a report by A. Knight et al.
Annals of Human Genetics, 2000
In a study based on 173 individuals drawn from three endogamous, co-resident communities in the p... more In a study based on 173 individuals drawn from three endogamous, co-resident communities in the province of Punjab, the Awan, Khattar and Rajpoot, an analysis of 10 autosomal single tandem repeats on chromosomes 13 and 15 revealed distinctive genetic profiles in each community. A total of 99 different alleles were detected, with 28 alleles (28.3%) shared by all three communities. The mean private allele frequency was 7.7%. There was a reduction in heterozygosity and high average inbreeding effects (FIS and/or HS), particularly in the Awan, indicating genetic isolation and a high cumulative level of autozygosity. Genotyping with eight Y-chromosome STRs resulted in the construction of six haplotypes, one each for the Awan and the Khattar but four for the Rajpoot, suggesting marked variation in the patterns of male founder effects in the history of each community. The lower than expected levels of homozygosity observed at a number of loci may be indicative of cosegregation of the STRs with nearby early development genes subject to selection.
Journal of Ichthyology, 2013
ABSTRACT General principles of studies on the species population structure are discussed. The mos... more ABSTRACT General principles of studies on the species population structure are discussed. The most common errors are outlined in regard to the population-genetic analysis.
Human Genomics, 2004
In this paper, data on 20 X-chromosomal microsatellite polymorphisms from the HGDP-CEPH cell line... more In this paper, data on 20 X-chromosomal microsatellite polymorphisms from the HGDP-CEPH cell line panel are used to infer human population structure. Inferences from these data are compared to those obtained from autosomal microsatellites. Some of the major features of the structure seen with 377 autosomal markers are generally visible with the X-linked markers, although the latter provide less resolution. Differences between the X-chromosomal and autosomal results can be explained without requiring major differences in demographic parameters between males and females. The dependence of the partitioning on the number of individuals sampled from each region and on the number of markers used is discussed.
Russian Journal of Genetics, Sep 1, 2017
In this study, 12 samples of chum salmon from the southern and central parts of Primorye were stu... more In this study, 12 samples of chum salmon from the southern and central parts of Primorye were studied with ten microsatellite loci. All studied localities of chum salmon of Primorye formed three main genetically different groups: (1) the Narva-Barabashevka-Ryazanovka cluster of southern Primorye, (2) Kievka River, and (3) Avvakumovka River. The revealed genetic heterogeneity of chum salmon showed clear population structure in accordance with the geographical location of the samples. The study suggests that, for the purposes of artificial reproduction of chum salmon, it is desirable to perform egg planting with regard to the described population structure of chum salmon of Primorye.
Russian Journal of Marine Biology, Mar 1, 2016
The white char, Salvelinus albus Glubokovsky, 1977, which was originally described from the Kamch... more The white char, Salvelinus albus Glubokovsky, 1977, which was originally described from the Kamchatka River basin, and the white char from Lake Kronotsky, Kamchatka Peninsula, are believed to be identical taxonomically and represent two reproductively isolated populations of the same species. However, the data on their molecular divergence show that they may differ at a higher, probably sub species, level. This suggests the necessity of deeper complex studies of white char and other closely related char species and forms.
Genetics Research, Oct 1, 2000
Genetic differences among populations exposed to selection form barriers against genetic exchange... more Genetic differences among populations exposed to selection form barriers against genetic exchange by mortality among hybrids. The strength of such a selection barrier, with which one (recipient) population reacts against immigration from another (donor) population, may be measured as the cumulative mean fitness of hybrids and their descendants relative to the fitness of the recipient population. Previous work analysed a case of weak selection with pairwise epistatic interactions by assuming small genetic distance between two populations in contact. The present study allows large genetic difference between the donor and recipient populations and considers weak multilocus selection with arbitrary epistatic interactions between two or more linked loci. An approximate analytical expression for the barrier strength is obtained as an expansion in which the strength of selection plays the role of a small parameter. It is shown that allele frequencies and gametic linkage disequilibria contribute in different ways to the strength of the selection barrier.
Journal of Genetics, Aug 1, 1998
Observations show that evolutionary processes often relate to multilocus epistatic selection. Her... more Observations show that evolutionary processes often relate to multilocus epistatic selection. Here we develop further the approach suggested earlier by Zhivotovsky and Gavrilets to admit arbitrary multilocus epistasis. The obtained dynamic equations for allelic frequencies and gametic disequilibria are represented in a simple form. If selection is weak, this result extends Wright's evolutionary equation to the case of cis-trans effects and sex differences in both recombination rates and genotypic fitnesses. Additionally to Wright's equations for allelic frequencies, we derive equations for the gametic disequilibrium terms. We also give a general expression for the gametic disequilibria in a quasi-linkage state,
Russian Journal of Marine Biology, Jul 1, 2017
⎯The chum salmon of the Amur River (the mainland part of the Far East) and the Poronai River (Ter... more ⎯The chum salmon of the Amur River (the mainland part of the Far East) and the Poronai River (Terpeniya Bay, Sakhalin Island) are historically related to one another, as the drainage basins of these rivers are the remnants of a formerly single river system, the Paleoamur, which existed when Sakhalin Island was a part of the continent. Both river populations of chum salmon consist of the early-run and late-run ecological forms (seasonal races), which are also referred to as the summer and autumn races. They are reproductively isolated from each other due to their spawning at different times and in different types of spawning grounds. To assess the direction, pattern, and degree of divergence between these chum salmon races in the both river fragments since the Paleoamur, it is necessary to compare them using two types of traits: selectively neutral DNA markers and morphological and physiological traits, variations in which may have an adaptive value. For this, we have studied chum salmon from both rivers in terms of microsatellite DNA markers, body counts and measurements, body weight, and fecundity. Both in the Amur River and in the Poronai River, the autumn race of chum salmon prevails over the summer race in body length and weight, fecundity, number of pyloric caeca, and several other meristic traits. The intra-basin differences between the races are much more pronounced in the Amur chum salmon. The inter-race differences in microsatellites are also greater in the Amur chum salmon compared to the Poronai chum salmon. Using microsatellites, three levels of differentiation have been revealed: (1) between the basins of the Amur and Poronai rivers, (2) between the races within each of the river basins, (3) and between population samples within each race of each basin. A hypothesis is proposed that the currently existing races of chum salmon in the Amur and Poronai rivers have evolved since the breakup of the Paleoamur, and the intra-basin divergence of the races started in the Amur River earlier than in the Poronai River. An analysis of our own data and the published data suggests that the adaptation of the seasonal races of chum salmon to the conditions of their spawning grounds is determined by a complex of morphological and physiological traits, including the number of pyloric caeca, which is an adaptive and highly heritable trait associated with the incubation temperature of the water.
Biology Bulletin
Abstract A new index, phyto-indicator of variation of environment (PHIVE), is introduced based on... more Abstract A new index, phyto-indicator of variation of environment (PHIVE), is introduced based on the normalized lengths of the intersection of the amplitudes (intervals) of an ecological scale of all plant species that grow in a given habitat. It reflects the diversity of niches colonized by plants at the given point in time. The index can be applied to each scale separately or can represent averaged data for a number of scales. The method is suitable for various habitats (from relatively homogeneous to extremely heterogeneous ones), which is demonstrated through the example of the ecological scales developed by D.N. Tsyganov. It is shown that there is no causal relationship between the PHIVE value and the number of species in the site, i.e. they evaluate different features of diversity. The PHIVE can be used to assess changes in plant habitats on par with other parameters of the population structure.
Biology Bulletin, 2020
A procedure for dividing species into ecogeographic units (EGUs) and ecogeographic aggregations (... more A procedure for dividing species into ecogeographic units (EGUs) and ecogeographic aggregations (EGAs) identified according to data on habitat gradients and distinctive features of migration (gene flows) is discussed. It is noted that every EGU or EGA can be regarded as a unit of reserves, reproduction, exploitation, or protection.
В июне – июле 2011 г. и июле 2012 г. представителями трех организаций: Полярного на-учно-исследов... more В июне – июле 2011 г. и июле 2012 г. представителями трех организаций: Полярного на-учно-исследовательского института морского рыбного хозяйства и океанографии им. Н. М. Книповича (Мурманск), Института общей генетики им. Н. И. Вавилова Россий-ской академии наук (Москва), Московского государственного университета им. М. В. Ломо-носова были проведены комплексные экспедиции на меромиктическое реликтовое оз. Мо-гильное (Баренцево море, о-в Кильдин). В задачи экспедиций входило исследование уровня стабильности оз. Могильного и выяснение состояния кильдинской трески – реликтовой и единственной в мире популяции трески, обитающей длительное время в условиях полной репродуктивной изоляции в условиях малого водоема с неустойчивым гидрологическим и гидробиологическим режимом. Определялись температурно-соленостные параметры вод озера, состояние ложа, морфометрические показатели озера, водный режим. Все работы с кильдинской треской проводились с кратковременным ее изъятием из водной среды для вз...
Russian Journal of Ecology, 2019
We suggest the concept of ecogeographic aggregations (EGAs) of plant species, according to which ... more We suggest the concept of ecogeographic aggregations (EGAs) of plant species, according to which populations (ecogeographic units, EGUs) of each species are combined into spatially close groups (aggregations) if they are adjacent to each other and live under similar conditions. The specification of EGA is based on the analysis of thematic geographic maps (of soils, topography, etc.). The delineated areas occupied by multispecies ecogeographic aggregations can be candidates for the creation of new protected natural areas. This idea is illustrated by the example of 38 rare plant species of the Republic of Mari El. It is shown that the populations of these species can be assigned to 11 ecogeographic aggregations, only some of which are included in the existing protected natural areas of the Republic.
Russian Journal of Genetics, 2016
Microsatellite alleles are detected by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) that provides a manifold i... more Microsatellite alleles are detected by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) that provides a manifold increase in the number of copies (amplification) of a given DNA fragment. The fragment visualization can be reached by two different methods. These are fragment analysis by capillary electrophoresis in denaturing gel and fragment separation in non denaturing gel with subsequent gel staining. The first method is more accurate and automated, but expensive. The second method is much cheaper but less convenient. It requires manual processing and is presumably less accurate. In this study, we present the results of comparison of the allele typing at nine microsatellite loci using these two methods for one of the species of Pacific salmon, sock eye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka Walbaum. In most cases, both methods give identical fragment sizes or with a constant difference if the alleles are relatively small (not larger than 200-220 bp).
Russian Journal of Marine Biology, 2017
⎯This study focuses on the strategy for the conservation of masu salmon, Oncorhynchus masou, in t... more ⎯This study focuses on the strategy for the conservation of masu salmon, Oncorhynchus masou, in the northern part of the species range (via the masu populations in Sakhalin Oblast), based on data of its population structure. It is shown that masu populations that inhabit different rivers genetically differ from each other in allele frequencies at microsatellite markers. In the Naiba River basin, at least two genetically distinct masu populations exist: in the upper reaches and in a tributary, the Bolshoy Takoy River. The masu populations on Iturup Island significantly differ from those on Sakhalin Island; within Sakhalin, the masu salmon from the Chernaya River in the southwestern part of the island is genetically distinct from the southeastern Sakhalin and Aniva Bay populations. The genetic diversity of Iturup populations is substantially lower than that on Sakhalin, probably due to their small sizes. The measures for the conservation and recovery of masu salmon populations should be based primarily on their own genetic resources, or, in the case of a lack of spawners, on the base populations of their ecological/geographical region. In the latter case, masu populations of large rivers can be considered as base ones: for southeastern Sakhalin, this is masu salmon of the Naiba River; for Aniva Bay, this is masu salmon of the Lyutoga River. Transplantation of fish, fertilized eggs, or any other genetic material from a population that is different genetically and inhabits the waters with different ecological gradients should be strongly restricted. The formosan masu salmon from Taiwan Island is studied as an example of a strict genetic isolate.
Russian Journal of Genetics, 2011
A set often microsatellite loci enabling fairly accurate identification of the chum salmon indivi... more A set often microsatellite loci enabling fairly accurate identification of the chum salmon individuals from geographically distant groups was designed at the Laboratory of Genetic Identification, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences. However, identification of the individuals from closely located basins performed using these loci was not sufficiently precise. The present study was focused on the improvement of the resolution of the method through increasing the number microsatellite loci used. In this study, typing of additional microsatellite loci of chum salmon and evaluation of the change of the degree of identification with the increase of the number ofmicrosatellite loci used is described. It was shown that the identification accuracy permanently increased with the increase of the number of microsatellite markers used.
Biology Bulletin, 2020
The ontogenetic spectrum registers the age states of plants and is a sensitive population-based i... more The ontogenetic spectrum registers the age states of plants and is a sensitive population-based indicator of environmental changes. This is a review of population-ontogenetic methods for studies of plant populations (cenopopulations) based on the ontogenetic spectra. New age indices-the youth index and the maturity index-are introduced. For the recovery index, some boundaries for the levels of self-maintenance of plant populations are suggested.
Human Genetics, 2009
Science, 2004
Ongoing Controversy over Romanov Remains THE FIELD OF ANCIENT DNA ANALYSIS HAS faced numerous obs... more Ongoing Controversy over Romanov Remains THE FIELD OF ANCIENT DNA ANALYSIS HAS faced numerous obstacles and setbacks in its path to legitimacy. Yet another setback was showcased in the news story "Buried, recovered, lost again? The Romanovs may never rest" (R. Stone, News Focus, 6 Feb., p. 753). Much was made of a report by A. Knight et al.
Annals of Human Genetics, 2000
In a study based on 173 individuals drawn from three endogamous, co-resident communities in the p... more In a study based on 173 individuals drawn from three endogamous, co-resident communities in the province of Punjab, the Awan, Khattar and Rajpoot, an analysis of 10 autosomal single tandem repeats on chromosomes 13 and 15 revealed distinctive genetic profiles in each community. A total of 99 different alleles were detected, with 28 alleles (28.3%) shared by all three communities. The mean private allele frequency was 7.7%. There was a reduction in heterozygosity and high average inbreeding effects (FIS and/or HS), particularly in the Awan, indicating genetic isolation and a high cumulative level of autozygosity. Genotyping with eight Y-chromosome STRs resulted in the construction of six haplotypes, one each for the Awan and the Khattar but four for the Rajpoot, suggesting marked variation in the patterns of male founder effects in the history of each community. The lower than expected levels of homozygosity observed at a number of loci may be indicative of cosegregation of the STRs with nearby early development genes subject to selection.
Journal of Ichthyology, 2013
ABSTRACT General principles of studies on the species population structure are discussed. The mos... more ABSTRACT General principles of studies on the species population structure are discussed. The most common errors are outlined in regard to the population-genetic analysis.
Human Genomics, 2004
In this paper, data on 20 X-chromosomal microsatellite polymorphisms from the HGDP-CEPH cell line... more In this paper, data on 20 X-chromosomal microsatellite polymorphisms from the HGDP-CEPH cell line panel are used to infer human population structure. Inferences from these data are compared to those obtained from autosomal microsatellites. Some of the major features of the structure seen with 377 autosomal markers are generally visible with the X-linked markers, although the latter provide less resolution. Differences between the X-chromosomal and autosomal results can be explained without requiring major differences in demographic parameters between males and females. The dependence of the partitioning on the number of individuals sampled from each region and on the number of markers used is discussed.