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Pygmies share a recent common ancestor

Nature (2009)Cite this article

The rise of farming may have caused formation of diverse groups.

Pygmies in Western Central Africa may have evolved from a common ancestral group and, less than 3,000 years ago, split into the diverse array of populations seen today, according to a new genetic study. The researchers believe that the spread of non-pygmy farmers through Western Central Africa may have driven pygmies into isolated groups, prompting their speedy evolution into distinct populations.

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References

  1. Verdu, P. et al. Current Biology 19, 1-7 (2009).

  2. Quintana-Murci, L., et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105, 1596-1601 (2008).

  3. Batini, C., et al. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 43, 635-644 (2007).

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Authors
  1. Roberta Kwok
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Previous CNRS study on pygmies

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Kwok, R. Pygmies share a recent common ancestor. Nature (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2009.82

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2009.82

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