Abstract

Empowered by technology and sampling efforts designed to facilitate genome-wide association mapping, human geneticists are now studying the geography of genetic variation in unprecedented detail. With high genomic coverage and geographic resolution, these studies are identifying loci with spatial signatures of selection, such as extreme levels of differentiation and correlations with environmental variables. Collectively, patterns at these loci are beginning to provide new insights into the process of human adaptation. Here, we review the challenges of these studies and emerging results, including how human population structure has influenced the response to novel selective pressures.

Author affiliations

1. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Interdepartmental Program in Bioinformatics, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1606, USA.
2. Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.

Correspondence to: John Novembre¹ Email: jnovembre@ucla.edu

Correspondence to: Anna Di Rienzo² Email: dirienzo@uchicago.edu

Published online 13 October 2009

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