Human Dispersals Out of Africa: Mitochondrial and Y chromosomal Genetic Analysis of Eritrean and Omani Populations

遗传学、考古学和古人类学数据表明，解剖学上现代智人（AMHS）的所有主要迁徙都起源于非洲，最近的数据表明，主要的传播来自非洲之角。因此，非洲之角和阿拉伯半岛的邻近地区对于我们理解人类从非洲向世界各地的扩散至关重要。关于这一地区，特别是阿拉伯南部的主要人口的资料很少。这项研究结合了实地调查、原始实验室和计算分析、国际合作以及创新的外展计划，以重建对人类扩散至关重要的人口流动。该项目将为人类迁移的最佳假设提供强有力的测试，并产生新的数据来设计未来的假设。该项目建立在过去成功重建简单的迁移历史（欧洲和新世界），并作为一个模型，以确定遗传变异模式和系统发育方法的效用，以重建更复杂的迁移历史。来自厄立特里亚（非洲之角）和阿曼（阿拉伯半岛南部）语言和地理多样性人群的800个DNA样本将被分析线粒体基因组和Y染色体的遗传变异。这些数据将被用来制定新的假设，以及测试以下假设：1）南部的传播路线离开非洲，2）迁移和非洲之角和阿拉伯半岛之间的回移，和3）扩张的闪米特语系。1)拟议项目的一个重要组成部分是在厄立特里亚（以前未取样）和阿曼（一项已发表的研究）采集血样。将在厄立特里亚和阿曼举办遗传学讲习班，并将向每个东道机构捐赠必要的实验室设备。将与厄立特里亚和阿曼的同事分享所有收集的样本的等分试样。拟议的合作将使非洲和阿拉伯的合作者能够保留对自己遗传资源的控制，并在未来发展和指导独立的研究。 厄立特里亚的同事已经制定了一个项目，调查厄立特里亚人对疟疾的抵抗力，这是一个国家优先事项。2)此外，一个独特的程序已经开发，其中佛罗里达新闻和通信研究生的大学将参加人类学研究项目的佛罗里达系的大学，以获得动手实验室经验，并创建一个媒体产品，包括在他们的研究生投资组合。该计划将产生最大的影响，因为它为负责向公众传播当前科学研究的个人提供培训。

Genetic, archaeological, and paleoanthropological data indicate that all major migrations of anatomically modern Homo sapiens (AMHS) originated in Africa and recent data suggest that key dispersals emerged from Horn of Africa. Thus, Horn of Africa and neighboring regions on the Arabian Peninsula are critical to our understanding of the worldwide dispersal of humans out of Africa. There is a dearth of information available on key populations in this region, particularly in southern Arabia. The proposed study combines fieldwork, original laboratory and computational analyses, international collaborations, and innovative outreach programs to reconstruct population movements critical in the dispersal of humans. The project will provide powerful tests of the best current hypotheses of human migrations and generate new data to design future hypotheses. The project builds on past success in reconstructing simple migration histories (Europe and the New World) and serves as a model to determine the utility of genetic variation patterning and phylogenetic methods to reconstruct more complex migration histories. Eight hundred DNA samples from linguistically and geographically diverse populations in Eritrea (Horn of Africa) and Oman (southern Arabia) will be assayed for genetic variation across the mitochondrial genome and the Y chromosome. These data will be used to formulate new hypotheses as well as to test the following hypotheses: 1) a southern dispersal route out of Africa, 2) migration and back-migration between Horn of Africa and Arabia, and 3) expansion of the Semitic language family.Broader impact. 1) An important component of the proposed project is an expedition to collect blood samples in Eritrea (previously unsampled) and Oman (one published study). Genetics workshops will be taught in Eritrea and Oman and necessary laboratory equipment will be donated to each host institution. Aliquots of all collected samples will be shared with Eritrean and Omani colleagues. The proposed collaboration will allow African and Arabian collaborators to retain control of their own genetic resources as well as develop and direct independent research in the future. Eritrean colleagues have already developed a project to investigate resistance to malaria in Eritreans, a subject of national priority. 2) Furthermore, a unique program has been developed in which University of Florida journalism and communications graduate students will participate in University of Florida Department of Anthropology research projects in order to gain hands-on laboratory experience and create a media product for inclusion in their graduate portfolio. This program will have maximum impact because it provides training to the individuals charged with communicating current scientific research to the general public.