Article

Immunoglobulin allotypes (GM and KM) in Basques from Spain: approach to the origin of the Basque population.

Departamento de Biología Animal y Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad del Pais Vasco, Bilbao, Spain.
Human Biology (impact factor: 1.31). 09/1998; 70(4):667-98. pp.667-98
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT GM and KM immunoglobulin (Ig) allotypes have been tested in 310 autochthonous Basques from the three subpopulations of Vizcaya, Guipúzcoa, and Alava, Spain. They are compared with allotypes occurring in autochthonous French Basques, some Pyrenean subpopulations in France, and European populations. The analysis suggests that the Basque subpopulations show noticeable genetic distances between them and with other European populations. The genetic similarity between Basques and European populations is greater in the Basques from France than in the Basques from Spain. The genetic distances between Basque subpopulations in Spain fit well with the different historical levels of the spatial implantation of the Basque language. Guipúzcoa, the Basque province with the highest number of Basque-speaking people, shows the most genetic distinctiveness. The main underlying cause of this spatial genetic pattern seems to be admixture with surrounding populations. Our results do not support the hypothesis that Basques are a relict population of ancient Europeans. They might be a consequence of the colonization of the Basque area by a long-distance migrating group, probably a small Neolithic North Caucasian population that introduced agriculture in the region. They experienced early, rapid demographic growth, and they did not breed with the few hunter-gatherers wandering throughout the area. The North Caucasian migrants could have admixed with North Asian groups dating from many centuries before. Furthermore, Basques present polymorphic frequencies of a common African haplotype, suggesting that they have not been completely isolated from populations of Africa. However, another focus of the African haplotype has been detected in Central Asia, and the Basque frequencies alternatively might be due to North Asian groups.

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Keywords

310 autochthonous Basques
 
autochthonous French Basques
 
Basque subpopulations
 
Basque-speaking people
 
Basques present polymorphic frequencies
 
common African haplotype
 
different historical levels
 
European populations
 
introduced agriculture
 
KM immunoglobulin
 
long-distance migrating group
 
North Asian groups
 
North Caucasian migrants
 
Pyrenean subpopulations
 
rapid demographic growth
 
relict population
 
small Neolithic North Caucasian population
 
Spain fit
 
spatial genetic pattern
 
three subpopulations