Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA analysis confirms that Maragatos from Spain are a genetically isolated human group. Genetic distances between Maragatos and the comparison samples are significantly different even with the León sample (P<0.001) which shares the same geographic area as the Maragatos. Although the north-African haplogroup U6 is present in them, their attributed Berber origin is weakened, as this haplogroup is also detected in surrounding populations with which, in addition, Maragatos have the smaller genetic distances. These U6 haplotypes are ascribed to a pre-historic African colonisation that influenced all the Iberian Peninsula. The presence of Neolithic haplogroups in this sample suggests that their isolation culture was not absolute until recent times.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Dr Carlos Vázquez Rojo, from Centro de Salud de Astorga, for helping us to obtain the Maragatos blood samples and to the two anonymous referees for their comments. This study was supported by grants of the DGES (PB96-1034) and Gobierno de Canarias (COF1999/019) to VM Cabrera.
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Larruga, J., Díez, F., Pinto, F. et al. Mitochondrial DNA characterisation of European isolates: The Maragatos from Spain. Eur J Hum Genet 9, 708–716 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejhg.5200693
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejhg.5200693
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