Gene trekking

Science | African genes showcase diversity | Daniel James Devine

University of Pennsylvania

After 10 years of collecting blood samples and analyzing DNA—sometimes extracted in the field with portable, car battery-operated centrifuges—researchers have produced the most extensive survey of African genetics in history. The results prove Africa to be the most genetically diverse continent in the world, meaning no local population of Africans is rightly representative of the rest.

Sarah Tishkoff, a University of Pennsylvania geneticist who led the study, explained that diversity occurs when groups of people live separately for long periods of time. Among the biggest surprises to her: Most Africans can be traced to multiple ancestry groups, suggesting past migrations once mixed the now—distinct populations.

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