African Ancestry

The big news published in the early online edition of Science this week is the largest study ever of African genetic diversity, led by the University of Pennsylvania's Sarah Tishkoff. Covering 121 African populations, four African American populations, and 60 non-African populations and scanning 1327 genetic markers, the international team of scientists found among other things that Africans are descended from 14 ancestral populations and that East Africa was the source of the migration that populated the rest of the world, summarizes a news story. Genetic Future's Daniel MacArthur calls is a "profoundly impressive paper," and for a more detailed analysis of the findings, check out full at GenomeWeb Daily News.