Population genetics (Biology) Research Papers (original) (raw)

This article documents the files format conversion procedures for eight different genotype file formats using existing tools like Plink, Samtools, Gtools, and custom code script where necessary. It provides documentation and the... more

This article documents the files format conversion procedures for eight different genotype file formats using existing tools like Plink, Samtools, Gtools, and custom code script where necessary. It provides documentation and the corresponding code segment for each conversion to serve conversion procedures in a plate to beginners and researchers to build on top of the existing code to develop enhanced and fast conversion procedures. The code is written in Python and GNU commands, enabling deployment from general-purpose computers to high-performance computing setups. In addition, the documentation is written in the form of the tutorial, highlighting the reason for using a particular step in the conversion procedure and its effect on intermediate genotype data, ultimately enhancing the comprehension abilities of people struggling with file conversion when developing their pipelines for the analysis. In the first version of the documentation, we considered eight file formats: VCF, BED-BIM-FAM, PED-MAP, GEN-SAMPLE, RAW, HAPS-LEGEND-SAMPLE, 23andme, and AncestryDNA.

Large-scale genotyping and next-generation sequencing techniques have allowed great advances in the field of molecular genetics. Numerous common variants of low impact have been associated with many complex human traits and diseases, such... more

Large-scale genotyping and next-generation sequencing techniques have allowed great advances in the field of molecular genetics. Numerous common variants of low impact have been associated with many complex human traits and diseases, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Although they may exert a greater impact on risk, few rare disease variants have been found, owing to the greatly increased sample sizes that are typically necessary to demonstrate association with rarer variants. One alternative strategy is to study isolated populations, where historical bottlenecks reduce genetic diversity and some otherwise rare variants may drift to higher frequencies. Here we describe the Mennonite population settlements, considering their history of multiple bottlenecks followed by demographic expansion and a currently widespread geographical distribution. We argue that Mennonite populations are valuable partners for studies seeking genetic variants that exert a high impact on risk for a...

Natural hybridization is common in plants, including mangroves. Three Rhizophora mangrove species are recognized in the Indo-West Pacific region, namely R. apiculata, R. mucronata, and R. stylosa. So far, R. apiculata has been known to... more

Natural hybridization is common in plants, including mangroves. Three Rhizophora mangrove species are recognized in the Indo-West Pacific region, namely R. apiculata, R. mucronata, and R. stylosa. So far, R. apiculata has been known to form sterile hybrid offspring with R. mucronata (= R. x annamalayana) and with R. stylosa (= R. x lamarckii). A third hybrid between morphologically similar R. mucronata and R. stylosa was only recently shown to exist, via DNA sequencing. However, it has been suspected that this newly discovered hybrid may be fertile, with potential to interbreed to give rise to advanced-generation hybrids in locations where both parental species occur. In this study, inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to survey several stands where R. mucronata and R. stylosa co-occur. By screening through 26 ISSR primers, a set of species-specific diagnostic bands for each species were first identified from standard samples before being used to genotype the test samples. A chloroplast DNA locus was also sequenced in the test samples to determine the direction of hybridization. Results showed that hybridization occurred between R. mucronata and R. stylosa in all investigated locations with differing levels of introgression, and that it could happen in any direction.

The karyotype of spined loach Сobitis sp. for the first time found in Armenia in Aghstev River consists from 8 meta-, 14 submeta- and 28 subtelo/acrocentric chromosomes, NF=72. The comparative analysis of chromosomal sets of spined... more

The karyotype of spined loach Сobitis sp. for the first time found in Armenia in Aghstev River consists from 8 meta-, 14 submeta- and 28 subtelo/acrocentric chromosomes, NF=72. The comparative analysis of chromosomal sets of spined loaches from basins of Black and Caspian seas was shown that the karyotype of loach from Armenia is similar with the karyotypes of spined loaches of the second evolutionary line with 2n=50. The chromosomal set of Сobitis sp. from Armenia is more similar with Cobitis taenia satunini from Azerbaijan.

Over the past decade, the emergence of anthracnose disease has newly challenged the health of turfgrasses on North American golf courses, resulting in considerable economic loss. The fungus responsible for the outbreaks, Colletotrichum... more

Over the past decade, the emergence of anthracnose disease has newly challenged the health of turfgrasses on North American golf courses, resulting in considerable economic loss. The fungus responsible for the outbreaks, Colletotrichum cereale, has also been identified from numerous natural grasses and cereal crops, although disease symptoms are generally absent. Here we utilize phylogenetic and population genetic analyses to determine the role of ecosystem in the advancement of turfgrass anthracnose and assess whether natural grass and/or cereal inhabitants are implicated in the epidemics. Using a four-gene nucleotide data set to diagnose the limits of phylogenetic species and population boundaries, we find that the graminicolous Colletotrichum diverged from a common ancestor into distinct lineages correspondent with host physiology (C3 or C4 photosynthetic pathways). In the C4 lineage, which includes the important cereal pathogens Colletotrichum graminicola, C. sublineolum, C. falcatum, C. eleusines, C. caudatum and several novel species, host specialization predominates, with host-associated lineages corresponding to isolated sibling species. Although the C3 lineage--C. cereale--is comprised of one wide host-range species, it is divided into 10 highly specialized populations corresponding to ecosystem and/or host plant, along with a single generalist population spread across multiple habitat types. Extreme differentiation between the specialized C. cereale populations suggests that asymptomatic nonturfgrass hosts are unlikely reservoirs of infectious disease propagules, but gene flow between the generalist population and the specialized genotypes provides an indirect mechanism for genetic exchange between otherwise isolated populations and ecosystems.

Right from the beginning, genetics has been an international venture, with international networks involving the collaboration of scientists across continents. Janaki Ammal's career illustrates this. This paper traces her scientific... more

Right from the beginning, genetics has been an international venture, with international networks involving the collaboration of scientists across continents. Janaki Ammal's career illustrates this. This paper traces her scientific path by situating it in the context of her relationships with J. B. S. Haldane and C. D. Darlington.

Modern European genetic structure demonstrates strong correlations with geography, while genetic analysis of prehistoric humans has indicated at least two major waves of immigration from outside the continent during periods of cultural... more

Modern European genetic structure demonstrates strong correlations with geography, while genetic analysis of prehistoric humans has indicated at least two major waves of immigration from outside the continent during periods of cultural change. However, population-level genome data that could shed light on the demographic processes occurring during the intervening periods have been absent. Therefore, we generated genomic data from 41 individuals dating mostly to the late 5th/early 6th century AD from present-day Bavaria in southern Germany, including 11 whole genomes (mean depth 5.56×). In addition we developed a capture array to sequence neutral regions spanning a total of 5 Mb and 486 functional polymorphic sites to high depth (mean 72×) in all individuals. Our data indicate that while men generally had ancestry that closely resembles modern northern and central Europeans, women exhibit a very high genetic heterogeneity; this includes signals of genetic ancestry ranging from wester...

BACKGROUND: In spite of its indusrial usefulness and varied daily uses, lead (Pb) pollution is a widespread ecological problem that faces the humans in the 21th century. Pb was found to produces a wide range of toxic effects including... more

BACKGROUND:
In spite of its indusrial usefulness and varied daily uses, lead (Pb) pollution is a widespread ecological problem that faces the humans in the 21th century. Pb was found to produces a wide range of toxic effects including neurotoxicity especially to the developing and young offspring. Recently, the utilization of herbal plants has received a significant attention where there has been rising awareness in their therapeutic use; among these is the garlic.
AIM OF THE WORK:
In light of the above, the current study is designed experimentally in female pregnant rats in order to investigate the beneficial role of garlic extract in the protection from the maternal and fetal cerebellar damage that produced by administration of different doses of Pb during pregnancy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Positively pregnant female rats were divided into five groups; one control group, two Pb-treated groups (exposed to 160 and 320 mg/kg b.wt. of Pb, respectively) and two groups treated with both Pb and garlic (exposed to Pb as previous groups together with 250 mg/ kg b.wt. /day of garlic extract). Treatments started from day 1 till day 20 of pregnancy, where the mother rats of different experimental groups were sacrified to obtain the fetuses. Pb level in the maternal nd fetal blood and cerebellum was estimated by spectrophotometry. Specimens of the cerebellum of different mother and fetal groups were processed to histological and immunohistochemical staining for microscopic examination.
RESULTS:
The results showed that administration of Pb to pregnant rats resulted in a dose-dependent toxicity for both mothers and fetuses in the form of decrease of maternal weight gain, placental and fetal weights, brain weight and diminished fetal growth parameters, which were prominent in rat's group treated with larger dose of Pb. In Pb-treated rats, Pb level in blood and cerebellum was high when compared to the control. The histopathological examination of the cerebellum of treated dams and fetuses showed marked alterations mainly in the form of Purkinje cell degeneration and lack of deveopmet of fetal cerebellum. Co-treatment of garlic extract along with Pb resulted in a significant decrease in Pb levels as compared with those treated with Pb alone with improvement of the histopathological changes.
CONCLUSIONS:
This study was useful in evaluating the hazardous effects of uncontrolled use of Pb in general and in assessing the developmental and neurotoxicity of fetuses due to exposure during pregnancy in particular. Co-administration of garlic has beneficial effects in amelioration of Pb-induced neurotoxicity and reversing the histopathological changes of the cerebellum of mother rats and fetuses.
KEYWORDS:
garlic; glial fibrillary acidic protein; lead; purkinje cells

To date, most assessments of coral connectivity have emphasized long-distance horizontal dispersal of propagules from one shallow reef to another. The extent of vertical connectivity, however, remains largely understudied. Here, we used... more

To date, most assessments of coral connectivity have emphasized long-distance horizontal dispersal of propagules from one shallow reef to another. The extent of vertical connectivity, however, remains largely understudied. Here, we used newly-developed and existing DNA microsatellite loci for the brooding coral Porites astreoides to assess patterns of horizontal and vertical connectivity in 590 colonies collected from three depth zones (≤10 m, 15-20 m and ≥25 m) at sites in Florida, Bermuda and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). We also tested whether maternal transmission of algal symbionts (Symbiodinium spp.) might limit effective vertical connectivity. Overall, shallow P. astreoides exhibited high gene flow between Florida and USVI, but limited gene flow between these locations and Bermuda. In contrast, there was significant genetic differentiation by depth in Florida (Upper Keys, Lower Keys and Dry Tortugas), but not in Bermuda or USVI, despite strong patterns of depth zonation in ...

We examined mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup and haplotype diversity in 188 individuals from three Chibchan (Kogi, Arsario, and Ijka) populations and one Arawak (Wayuú) group from northeast Colombia to determine the biological... more

We examined mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup and haplotype diversity in 188 individuals from three Chibchan (Kogi, Arsario, and Ijka) populations and one Arawak (Wayuú) group from northeast Colombia to determine the biological relationship between lower Central American and northern South American Chibchan speakers. mtDNA haplogroups were obtained for all individuals and mtDNA HVS-I sequence data were obtained for 110 samples. Resulting sequence data were compared to 16 other Caribbean, South, and Central American populations using diversity measures, neutrality test statistics, sudden and spatial mismatch models, intermatch distributions, phylogenetic networks, and a multidimensional scaling plot. Our results demonstrate the existence of a shared maternal genetic structure between Central American Chibchan, Mayan populations and northern South American Chibchan-speakers. Additionally, these results suggest an expansion of Chibchan-speakers into South America associated with a shift in subsistence strategies because of changing ecological conditions that occurred in the region between 10,000-14,000 years before present. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a group of hereditary recessive disorder recognized as a loss of pigmentation. OCA can derive from mutations in different genes that produce melanin. These mutations cause disturbances to get a standard... more

Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a group of hereditary recessive disorder recognized as a loss of pigmentation. OCA can derive from mutations in different genes that produce melanin. These mutations cause disturbances to get a standard melanin synthesis. There are 7 types of oculocutaneous albinism. These include OCA1, OCA2, OCA3, OCA4, OCA5, OCA6, and OCA7. To help OCA patients, it may include management of such as hats with brims and sunscreens. An effective therapy is unavailable for albinism at present. However, to fight OCA in the future, gene therapy can be used. Gene therapy can include use of such as retrovirus vectors, adenovirus vectors, and CRISPR/Cas9 system. Research results in animal models have shown remarkable advances. It means that the gene therapy will be helpful to treat people with albinism.

9 new individuals carrying MtDNA H2a1 haplogroup. 1 in Isle of Man, 7 in England and Cornwall, 1 in Hungria. Patterson, N., Isakov, M., Booth, T. et al. Large-scale migration into Britain during the Middle to Late Bronze Age. Nature... more

9 new individuals carrying MtDNA H2a1 haplogroup. 1 in Isle of Man, 7 in England and Cornwall, 1 in Hungria. Patterson, N., Isakov, M., Booth, T. et al. Large-scale migration into Britain during the Middle to Late Bronze Age. Nature (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04287-4
1 new individual in southern Italy (Vagnary) published in Emery et al. (2018). Ancient Roman mitochondrial genomes and isotopes reveal relationships and geographic origins at the local and pan-Mediterranean scales. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 20(?), 200-209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2018.04.036

The emerging Bronze Age (BA) of southeastern Iberia saw marked social changes. Late Copper Age (CA) settlements were abandoned in favor of hilltop sites, and collective graves were largely replaced by single or double burials with often... more

The emerging Bronze Age (BA) of southeastern Iberia saw marked social changes. Late Copper Age (CA) settlements were abandoned in favor of hilltop sites, and collective graves were largely replaced by single or double burials with often distinctive grave goods indirectly reflecting a hierarchical social organization, as exemplified by the BA El Argar group. We explored this transition from a genomic viewpoint by tripling the amount of data available for this period. Concomitant with the rise of El Argar starting ~2200 cal BCE, we observe a complete turnover of Y-chromosome lineages along with the arrival of steppe-related ancestry. This pattern is consistent with a founder effect in male lineages, supported by our finding that males shared more relatives at sites than females. However, simple two-source models do not find support in some El Argar groups, suggesting additional genetic contributions from the Mediterranean that could predate the BA.

We analyzed the literature on ancient DNA of Paleoamericans. It was found that the Paleoamericans carried mtDNA belonging to the M macrohaplogroup and y-chromosome R. The Paleoamericans were Khoisan. The Khoisan was the Cro-Magnon people... more

We analyzed the literature on ancient DNA of Paleoamericans. It was found that the Paleoamericans carried mtDNA belonging to the M macrohaplogroup and y-chromosome R. The Paleoamericans were Khoisan. The Khoisan was the Cro-Magnon people who introduced the Solutrian culturesinto Spain and the North America. These founding amhindigenous Americans came to America in boats from Africa which was the only place Paleoamericans could sail from, to reach the Americas during the last Ice Age.

The paper is a study of ancient Basque (Vasconic) substratal words remaining in the Romance dialects of France, Spain, Italy and Romance-speaking parts of Belgium and Switzer-land. The demonstration begins with an illustrative... more

The paper is a study of ancient Basque (Vasconic) substratal words remaining in the Romance dialects of France, Spain, Italy and Romance-speaking parts of Belgium and Switzer-land. The demonstration begins with an illustrative presentation of three Basque words that have widespread coverage: marro for 'ram', suge for 'snake' and 'lizard', and gapar for 'wild rose'. They span an area extending from Spain and France into Switzerland and Italy. It is noted that there are many Vasconic words in Romance dialects spoken near the actual Basque Country: the most best-known are in Gascony where Vasconic was spoken at the beginning of our era, but some are also found to the South, West, and East, in Southern Na-varre, Aragon and Rioja. These gradients without discontinuities are sufficient proof of the ancient presence of Vasconic languages in a large part of our proposed Vasconic territory. Linguistic evidence is followed by a discussion of recent results from population genetics in the molecular school: these are represented by maps of MtDNA H1 and H3; Y-chromosome S116; and haplogroup XV (Taq1), which are the main haplogroups among the Basques and cover most of the proposed Vasconic territory. Finally, we discuss the presence of Vasconic words in large parts of the proposed Vasconic territory in conjunction with the various migrations that occurred in prehistoric and historic times. Our main conclusion is that Vasconic languages were widespread in large parts of Southern and Western France, in Iberia, and in some parts of Italy, especially in Sardinia; a historical scenario for the last 3000 years is proposed .

As genetic and archaeological evidence has developed over the past few years, it has become apparent that our most basic assumptions about how crops became incorporated into human culture may be in need of fundamental revision.... more

As genetic and archaeological evidence has developed over the past few years, it has become apparent that our most basic assumptions about how crops became incorporated into human culture may be in need of fundamental revision. Conventionally, crop origins have been understood through a local founding model in which one or multiple centers of small localized populations are formed through cultivation leading to domesticated forms as plants adapt to local human environments either over short, or more recently, longer time frames. However, the genetic expectations of such models are not being met by archaeogenomic and archaeological data. A key concept to the local

Certificate of Excellence in Reviewing - The 5th Virtual Multidisciplinary Conference (QUAESTI 2017)

The characterization of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) allows the establishment of genetic structures and phylogenetic relationships in human populations, tracing lineages far back in time. We analysed samples of mtDNA from twenty (20) Native... more

The characterization of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) allows the establishment of genetic structures and phylogenetic relationships in human populations, tracing lineages far back in time. We analysed samples of mtDNA from twenty (20) Native American populations (700 individuals) dispersed throughout Colombian territory. Samples were collected during 1989-1993 in the context of the program Expedición Humana (“Human Expedition”) and stored in the Biological Bank of the Institute of Human Genetics (IGH) at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Bogotá, Colombia). Haplogroups were determined by analysis of RFLPs. Most frequent was haplogroup A, with 338 individuals (48.3%). Haplogroup A is also one of the most frequent haplogroups in Mesoamerica, and we interpret our finding as supporting models that propose Chibchan-speaking groups migrated to northern Colombia from Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. Haplogroup C was found in 199 individual s (28.4%), while less frequent were B and D, with 113 and 41 (16% and 6%) individuals, respectively. The haplogroups of nine (9) individuals (1.3%) could not be determined due to the low quality of the samples of DNA. Although all the sampled populations had genetic structures that fit broadly into the patterns that might be expected for contemporary Central and South American indigenous groups, it was found that haplogroups A and B were more frequent in northern Colombia, while haplogroups C and D were more frequent in southern and south-western Colombia.

Ruffs are migrant shorebirds of inland habitats. This thesis describes seasonal migration and changes in range occupation of ruffs, and presents a comparative analysis of the population genetics of ruffs and related shorebird species. Two... more

Ruffs are migrant shorebirds of inland habitats. This thesis describes seasonal migration and changes in range occupation of ruffs, and presents a comparative analysis of the population genetics of ruffs and related shorebird species. Two hypotheses about shorebird evolution are addressed. Firstly, it is questioned whether instead of evolutionary constraints on migration routes (inflexible migration hypothesis), flexible routing might better explain observations on migration in shorebirds. Secondly, we test whether genetic variation in ruff and other inland, freshwater shorebirds is higher than in marine, coastal shorebirds (habitat dichotomy hypothesis).

This study investigates the genetic structure of the present-day inhabitants of Beringia in order to answer questions concerning their origins and evolution. According to recent studies, the ancestors of Native Americans paused for a time... more

This study investigates the genetic structure of the present-day inhabitants of Beringia in order to answer questions concerning their origins and evolution. According to recent studies, the ancestors of Native Americans paused for a time in Beringia, during which they differentiated genetically from other Asians before peopling the New World. Furthermore, the Koryaks of Kamchatka share a "ubiquitous" allele (D9S1120) with Native Americans, indicating they may have descended from the same ancestral Beringian population that gave rise to the New World founders. Our results show that a genetic barrier exists between Kamchatkans (Koryaks and Even) and Bering Island inhabitants (Aleuts, mixed Aleuts, and Russians), based on Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) and structure analysis of nine autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs). This is supported by mitochondrial DNA evidence, but not by analysis of Y chromosome markers, as recent non-native male admixture into the region appears to have partially obscured ancient population relationships. Our study indicates that while Aleuts are descended from the original New World founders, the Koryaks are unlikely to represent a Beringian remnant of the ancestral population that gave rise to Native Americans. They are instead, like the Even, more recent arrivals to Kamchatka from interior Siberia, and the "ubiquitous" allele in Koryaks may result from recent gene flow from Chukotka. Genbank accession numbers for mtDNA sequences: GQ922935-GQ922973. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

COST-FREE. ENGLISH. 28 PAGES. 4 PICTURES. 2017. OVER 2,000 READS. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> RESEARCH by BEHAR, GOVER, WEXLER, et al. Approximately 300,000 men around the globe... more

COST-FREE. ENGLISH. 28 PAGES. 4 PICTURES. 2017. OVER 2,000 READS. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
RESEARCH by BEHAR, GOVER, WEXLER, et al. Approximately 300,000 men around the globe self-identify as Ashkenazi Levites, of whom two thirds were previously shown to descend from a single male. The paucity of whole Y-chromosome sequences precluded conclusive identification of this ancestor's age, geographic origin and migration patterns. Here, we report the variation of 486 Y-chromosomes within the Ashkenazi and non-Ashkenazi Levite R1a clade, other Ashkenazi Jewish paternal lineages, as well as non-Levite Jewish and non-Jewish R1a samples. Cumulatively, the emerging profile is of a Middle Eastern ancestor, self-affiliating as Levite, and carrying the highly resolved R1a-Y2619 lineage, which was likely a minor haplogroup among the Hebrews. A star-like phylogeny, coalescing similarly to other Ashkenazi paternal lineages, ~1,743 ybp, suggests it to be one of the Ashkenazi paternal founders; to have expanded as part of the overall Ashkenazi demographic expansion, without special relation to the Levite affiliation; and to have subsequently spread to non-Ashkenazi Levites.

Monogenic hereditary diseases are diseases caused by defects in genes and currently it has been estimated that there are more than 10,000 monogenic diseases with a global prevalence of 10/1000 at birth. According to estimation more than... more

Monogenic hereditary diseases are diseases caused by defects in genes and currently it has been estimated that there are more than 10,000 monogenic diseases with a global prevalence of 10/1000 at birth. According to estimation more than 350 million people are affected by monogenic genetic diseases globally. Thalassemia, sickle cell anaemia, colour blindness, haemophilia, deafness, etc., are some examples of monogenic hereditary diseases. Pakistan is among the countries which are on high alert for rapid increase or such genetic disorders. The reasons for high prevalence of hereditary disorder are many: one is consanguinity due to cultural preference of cousin marriages and mate selection from near or distant blood relatives. Thus 80 percent consanguinity in Pakistan, is perhaps the highest in the world. The incidence of genetic diseases at birth can be reduced through introduction of premarital genetic counselling as a part of healthcare system. Genetic counselling and premarital genetic testing should be practiced in Pakistan to stop this rapidly increasing burden of hereditary diseases.

Bats are the main pollinators and seed dispersers of Stenocereus thurberi, a xenogamous columnar cactus of northwestern Mexico and a good model to illustrate spatial dynamics of gene flow in long-lived species. Previous studies in this... more

Bats are the main pollinators and seed dispersers of Stenocereus thurberi, a xenogamous columnar cactus of northwestern Mexico and a good model to illustrate spatial dynamics of gene flow in long-lived species. Previous studies in this cactus showed differences among populations in the type and abundance of pollinators, and in the timing of flowering and fruit-ing. In this study we analyzed genetic variability and population differentiation among populations. We used three primers of ISSR to analyze within and among populations genetic variation from eight widely separated populations of S. thurberi in Sonora, Mexico. Sixty-six out of 99 of the ISSR bands (P = 66.7%) were polymorphic. Total heterozygosity for all populations sampled revealed high genetic diversity (H sp = 0.207, H BT = 0.224). The AMOVA showed that most of the genetic variation was within populations (80.5%). At the species level, estimates of population differentiation, θ = 0.175 and θ B = 0.194, indicated moderate gene flow among populations. The absence of a significant correlation between genetic and geographic distances indicated little isolation by geographic distance. The large genetic variation and diversity found in S. thurberi is consistent with its open reproductive system and the high mobility of bats, a major pollinator. However, small changes in number or kind of pollinators and seed dispersal agents, in the directionality of migratory routes, and/or in the timing of flowering and fruiting among populations, can critically affect gene flow dynamics.

Medieval era encounters of nomadic groups of the Eurasian Steppe and largely sedentary East Europeans had a variety of demographic and cultural consequences. Amongst these outcomes was the emergence of the Lipka Tatars—a Slavic-speaking... more

Medieval era encounters of nomadic groups of the Eurasian Steppe and largely sedentary East Europeans had a variety of demographic and cultural consequences. Amongst these outcomes was the emergence of the Lipka Tatars—a Slavic-speaking Sunni-Muslim minority residing in modern Belarus, Lithuania and Poland, whose ancestors arrived in these territories via several migration waves, mainly from the Golden Horde. Our results show that Belarusian Lipka Tatars share a substantial part of their gene pool with Europeans as indicated by their Y-chromosomal, mitochondrial and autosomal DNA variation. Nevertheless, Belarusian Lipkas still retain a strong genetic signal of their nomadic ancestry, witnessed by the presence of common Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA variants as well as autosomal segments identical by descent between Lipkas and East Eurasians from temperate and northern regions. Hence, we document Lipka Tatars as a unique example of former Medieval migrants into Central Europe,...

The paper addresses many important aspects of the issue of genetic psychopathy and the importance of more studies in the area of psychopathy itself. And, the impact of clinical psychopaths upon society as a clear and present danger are... more

The paper addresses many important aspects of the issue of genetic psychopathy and the importance of more studies in the area of psychopathy itself. And, the impact of clinical psychopaths upon society as a clear and present danger are also noted within this paper. This is an important work.

Identification of genes underlying genomic signatures of natural selection is key to understanding adaptation to local conditions. We used targeted resequencing to identify SNP markers in 5,321 candidate adaptive genes associated with... more

Identification of genes underlying genomic signatures of natural selection is key to understanding adaptation to local conditions. We used targeted resequencing to identify SNP markers in 5,321 candidate adaptive genes associated with known immunological, metabolic, and growth functions in ovids and other ungulates. We selectively targeted 8,161 exons in protein-coding and nearby 5' and 3' untranslated regions of chosen candidate genes. Targeted sequences were taken from bighorn sheep (O. canadensis) exon capture data and directly from the domestic sheep genome (O. aries v. 3; oviAri3). The bighorn sheep sequences used in the Dall's sheep (Ovis dalli dalli) exon capture aligned to 2,350 genes on the oviAri3 genome with an average of 2 exons each. We developed a microfluidic qPCR-based SNP-chip to genotype 476 Dall's sheep from locations across their range and test for patterns of selection. Using multiple corroborating approaches (LOSITAN and BayeScan), we detected 2...