September 28, 2003

Ancient mtDNA Analysis and the Origin of the Guanches

Nicole Maca-Meyer et al.

European Journal of Human Genetics
(advance online publication 24 September 2003)

The prehistoric colonisation of the Canary Islands by the Guanches (native Canarians) woke up great expectation about their origin, since the Europeans conquest of the Archipelago. Here, we report mitochondrial DNA analysis (HVRI sequences and RFLPs) of aborigine remains around 1000 years old. The sequences retrieved show that the Guanches possessed U6b1 lineages that are in the present day Canarian population, but not in Africans. In turn, U6b, the phylogenetically closest ancestor found in Africa, is not present in the Canary Islands. Comparisons with other populations relate the Guanches with the actual inhabitants of the Archipelago and with Moroccan Berbers. This shows that, despite the continuous changes suffered by the population (Spanish colonisation, slave trade), aboriginal mtDNA lineages constitute a considerable proportion of the Canarian gene pool. Although the Berbers are the most probable ancestors of the Guanches, it is deduced that important human movements have reshaped Northwest Africa after the migratory wave to the Canary Islands.

Posted by Dienekes at September 28, 2003 08:10 PM | PermaLink
Comments

Another argument for quite old theories about the Guanches.
I personally would say that the today Rif Berbers are maybe the closest approximation to the original Guanches before the Europeans infiltrated the islands.
There are many tall, quite fair and cromagnoid look alikes under the Rif Berber.
The same description was usually used for the original Guanches.

Posted by: Chris at September 29, 2003 11:04 AM

I think that "actual" in the piece means "present". The author must have translated the piece herself.

Posted by: Zizka at September 30, 2003 05:25 PM

Zizka is right of course, and I had noticed that too. French-speakers sometimes make the mistake of using "actual" in English to mean "current" or "present-day," because that's what the French word "actuel" means. In this article abstract, "actual" is mistakenly used to signify "present-day," an odd lapse in this particular case, since a few lines above, "present day" is used correctly.

Posted by: Unadorned at October 1, 2003 04:36 AM

Actually, "actual" can mean "current" in English as well, via m-w.com:

3 : existing or occurring at the time : CURRENT

Posted by: Dienekes at October 1, 2003 12:31 PM

Guanches being related to the Berbers is a valid theory. But could they be connected to Phonecians? They had trade routes near the canaries within historical times. Annecdotally there are instances of Polynesian groups being cut off from trade routes and forgetting technology like the Guanches. Also The guanches had domesticated sheep and pigs. Has any gene work been done on those animals? That would be interesting.

Posted by: Jeff at November 18, 2003 09:15 PM

my family on my fathers side comes directly from the carany islands for as long as they can remember. my mothers side is traced back to spain.. everyone in my family has a fair complexion, some with light eyes and blonde hair.. makes me wonder if maybe i have some guanche dna myself.

Posted by: julio alvarez at November 30, 2003 01:40 PM

Hola!
Soy de la ciudad de Marrakech.
He nacido en 15 de febrero de 1978 en Marrakech.Me gusta la correspondencia;Me gusta la musica,la coleccion de las estampas
y también conocer nuevos amigos o amigas.
Espero que tengas ganas de intercambiar un gran numbre de emails conmigo durante un largue tiempo y porqué no,durante toda
la vida.
Soy generalmente simparico,atento y me gusta lo que es interessante: La naturaleza,la cutura,la historica,el ambiente ...
Es mi opcion en la vida mientras vivo.
Ok,pienso que he hablado un poco de mi,espero recibir tu contestacion i te voy decir mucho a proposito de lo que quieres
hablar.Gracias y hasta luego.


N.B:Lo siento si mi español es malo,sé que no respeto acentos sobre letras.

Posted by: Abouannajate at January 11, 2004 09:34 AM

Some GREAT information about the indigenous Berber people.

http://www.africanbynature.com/falseimages/bewarefalseimages.html

Posted by: Cushite at April 2, 2004 02:44 PM

On the issue of the blue eyes and blonde hair, there was a great deal of immigration from Normandy and Flanders.

If you want to learn more about the Flemish settlers and merchants (Flamencos) on the Canary Islands you can read this very interesting dutch thesis

http://home.planetinternet.be/~sintlod9/canarische/canarische_inhoud.htm

Posted by: Aart at July 8, 2004 06:37 AM
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