Genetic Makeup of NW Africans (II)

Previously we established that NW Africans are mainly indigenous with about 8% recent paternal Sub-Saharan African admixture. To complete the picture, lets look at the picture from mtDNA. Again, it is clear that maternal ancestry is not shared between Negroids and North Africans to a major extent. The Moroccan Berbers are 96% Caucasoid and 4% Negroid. The Senegalese are 96% Negroid and 4% Caucasoid maternally.

If you don't like the labels 'Caucasoid' 'Negroid' etc., use any labels you want. That doesn't alter the fact that a group of lineages found in the Middle East and Europe occurs at very high frequencies in North Africa while a group of lineages found in Sub-Saharan Africa occur at very low ones.

Mitochondrial DNA analysis of Northwest African populations reveals genetic exchanges with European, Near-Eastern, and sub-Saharan populations

J. C. RANDO

Annals of Human Genetics
Volume 62 - Issue 06 - November 1998

From Table 4, page 545

Caucasoid Sequences, labeled L3E and U6

Portugal 97%
Moroccan Berbers 96%
Algerian Berbers 82%
Moroccans (non-Berber) 78%
West Saharans 56%
Mauritanians 57%

...

Senegalese 4%

Posted by Dienekes at June 25, 2003 09:33 PM | PermaLink