Impact of patrilocality on contrasting patterns of paternal and maternal heritage in Central-West Africa.

Despite their ancient past and high diversity, African populations are the least represented in human population genetic studies. In this study, uniparental markers (mtDNA and Y chromosome) were used to investigate the impact of sociocultural factors on the genetic diversity and inter-ethnolinguistic gene flow in the three major Nigerian groups: Hausa (n = 89), Yoruba (n = 135) and Igbo (n = 134). The results show a distinct history from the maternal and paternal perspectives. The three Nigerian groups present a similar substrate for mtDNA, but not for the Y chromosome. The two Niger-Congo groups, Yoruba and Igbo, are paternally genetically correlated with populations from the same ethnolinguistic affiliation. Meanwhile, the Hausa is paternally closer to other Afro-Asiatic populations and presented a high diversity of lineages from across Africa. When expanding the analyses to other African populations, it is observed that language did not act as a major barrier to female-mediated gene flow and that the differentiation of paternal lineages is better correlated with linguistic than geographic distances. The results obtained demonstrate the impact of patrilocality, a common and well-established practice in populations from Central-West Africa, in the preservation of the patrilineage gene pool and in the affirmation of identity between groups.

Ethnic enclaves and colon cancer stage at diagnosis among New Jersey Hispanics.

Ethnic enclaves are neighborhoods with high concentrations of individuals of the same ethnic origin. Researchers have hypothesized that residence in ethnic enclaves may contribute to cancer outcomes through detrimental or protective pathways. A limitation of previous work, however, is their cross-sectional approach whereby an individual's residence at the time of diagnosis was used to capture residence in an ethnic enclave at a single point in time. This study addresses this limitation by adopting a longitudinal approach to investigating the association between the duration of residence in an ethnic enclave and the colon cancer (CC) stage at diagnosis. Colon cancer incidence cases diagnosed between 2006 and 2014, for Hispanics aged 18 years and older from the New Jersey State Cancer Registry (NJSCR) were linked to residential histories obtained from a commercial database LexisNexis, Inc. We examined associations between residence in an enclave and stage at diagnosis using binary and multinomial logistic regression, adjusted for age, sex, primary payer, and marital status. Among the 1076 Hispanics diagnosed with invasive colon cancer in New Jersey from 2006 to 2014, 48.4% lived in a Hispanic enclave at the time of diagnosis. Over the ten years preceding CC diagnosis, 32.6% lived in an enclave for the entire period. We found that Hispanics living in an ethnic enclave at diagnosis had significantly lower odds of distant-stage CC than Hispanics not living in an enclave at the time of diagnosis. Additionally, we found a significant association between living in an enclave for an extended period (e.g., over ten years) and lower odds of being diagnosed with distant stage CC. Integrating residential histories opens research possibilities to examine how minorities' residential mobility and residence in enclaves affect cancer diagnosis over time.

Ontogenic differences and sexual dimorphism of the locomotor performance in a nocturnal gecko, Tarentola mauritanica.

Locomotion performance in reptiles is deeply associated with habitat use, escape from predators, prey capture, and territory defense. As ectotherms, this trait in lizards is extremely sensitive to body temperature (BT). However, most studies rarely look at locomotion patterns in an ontogenic perspective. The Moorish gecko, Tarentola mauritanica, was used to investigate the possible effects of distinct BTs on the locomotor performance within juveniles and adults. Not surprisingly, adult individuals significantly outperform the juveniles in speed at every BT. Moreover, except in the 30-day-old juveniles, there is a general trend for an increase of speed with BT. The comparison of these speed values with the ones obtained for diurnal lizard species, corroborates the premise that because nocturnal species are subject to low thermal heterogeneity, little selection for behavioral thermoregulation, but strong selection for high performance at relatively cool temperatures are expected. Furthermore, the higher locomotor performance in adults at 29°C, roughly coincides with previously obtained preferred BTs. However, further studies need to be conducted to build the full performance curve, and to validate the existence of coadaption between behavioral thermoregulation and thermal sensitivity of physiological performance. Finally, this study has found that adult males run significantly faster than females at the highest BTs, highlighting the importance in understanding sex differences, and its potential to drive sex-specific behaviors, ecology, and ultimately fitness.

Tierra Del Fuego: What Is Left from the Precolonial Male Lineages?

Similar to other South American regions, Tierra del Fuego has an admixed population characterized by distinct ancestors: Native Americans who first occupied the continent, European settlers who arrived from the late 15th century onwards, and Sub-Saharan Africans who were brought to the Americas for slave labor. To disclose the paternal lineages in the current population from Tierra del Fuego, 196 unrelated males were genotyped for 23 Y-STRs and 52 Y-SNPs. Haplotype and haplogroup diversities were high, indicating the absence of strong founder or drift events. A high frequency of Eurasian haplogroups was detected (94.4%), followed by Native American (5.1%) and African (0.5%) ones. The haplogroup R was the most abundant (48.5%), with the sub-haplogroup R-S116* taking up a quarter of the total dataset. Comparative analyses with other Latin American populations showed similarities with other admixed populations from Argentina. Regarding Eurasian populations, Tierra del Fuego presented similarities with Italian and Iberian populations. In an in-depth analysis of the haplogroup R-M269 and its subtypes, Tierra del Fuego displayed a close proximity to the Iberian Peninsula. The results from this study are in line with the historical records and reflect the severe demographic change led mainly by male newcomers with paternal European origin.

Complex interactions between p.His558Arg and linked variants in the sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 5 (Na V 1.5).

Common genetic polymorphisms may modify the phenotypic outcome when co-occurring with a disease-causing variant, and therefore understanding their modulating role in health and disease is of great importance. The polymorphic p.His558Arg variant of the sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 5 (Na V 1.5) encoded by the SCN5A gene is a case in point, as several studies have shown it can modify the clinical phenotype in a number of cardiac diseases. To evaluate the genetic backgrounds associated with this modulating effect, we reanalysed previous electrophysiological findings regarding the p.His558Arg variant and further assessed its patterns of genetic diversity in human populations. The Na V 1.5 p.His558Arg variant was found to be in linkage disequilibrium with six other polymorphic variants that previously were also associated with cardiac traits in GWAS analyses. On account of this, incongruent reports that Arg558 allele can compensate, aggravate or have no effect on Na V 1.5, likely might have arose due to a role of p.His558Arg depending on the additional linked variants. Altogether, these results indicate a major influence of the epistatic interactions between SCN5A variants, revealing also that phenotypic severity may depend on the polymorphic background associated to each individual genome.

Hb F Levels in ß-Thalassemia Carriers and Normal Individuals: Known and Unknown Quantitative Trait Loci in the ß-Globin Gene Cluster.

In the already identified quantitative trait loci (QTL), modulating Hb F levels are cis-acting haplotypes of the ß-globin gene cluster itself, although the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) accounting more for the association, remain uncertain. In this study, the role in Hb F production of previously reported candidate SNPs within the ß-globin gene cluster was reexamined, along with a yet poorly studied variation in the BGLT3 gene. In a sample of ß-thalassemia (ß-thal) carriers, we succeeded in replicating the significant association between increased Hb F levels and rs7482144 (C>T) (HBG2 XmnI), which is the most well-established variation in the cluster influencing the trait. This SNP was found to be in strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) with a variation in the HBBP1 gene [rs10128556 (G>A)], which consistently revealed a similar association signal. Remarkably, much stronger than the latter associations were those involving both rs968857 (T allele) (3' HBBP1) and rs7924684 (G allele) (BGLT3), two SNPs that were also in strong LD. As the pattern of LD detected in the ß-globin gene cluster does not correlate with a tight linkage between markers, complex interactions between SNPs at the cluster seem to modulate Hb F. Seeing that no such associations were detected in normal subjects, the question can be raised on whether, under erythropoiesis stress, epigenetic mechanisms contribute to change the regulation of the entire ß-globin gene cluster. In conclusion, we provide statistical evidence for a new player within the ß-globin gene cluster, BGLT3, that in cooperation with other regions influences Hb F levels in ß-thal carriers.

The Ancestry of Eastern Paraguay: A Typical South American Profile with a Unique Pattern of Admixture.

Immigrants from diverse origins have arrived in Paraguay and produced important demographic changes in a territory initially inhabited by indigenous Guarani. Few studies have been performed to estimate the proportion of Native ancestry that is still preserved in Paraguay and the role of females and males in admixture processes. Therefore, 548 individuals from eastern Paraguay were genotyped for three marker sets: mtDNA, Y-SNPs and autosomal AIM-InDels. A genetic homogeneity was found between departments for each set of markers, supported by the demographic data collected, which showed that only 43% of the individuals have the same birthplace as their parents. The results show a sex-biased intermarriage, with higher maternal than paternal Native American ancestry. Within the native mtDNA lineages in Paraguay (87.2% of the total), most haplogroups have a broad distribution across the subcontinent, and only few are concentrated around the Paraná River basin. The frequency distribution of the European paternal lineages in Paraguay (92.2% of the total) showed a major contribution from the Iberian region. In addition to the remaining legacy of the colonial period, the joint analysis of the different types of markers included in this study revealed the impact of post-war migrations on the current genetic background of Paraguay.

Insights into the Middle Eastern paternal genetic pool in Tunisia: high prevalence of T-M70 haplogroup in an Arab population.

To obtain refreshed insights into the paternal lineages of Tunisian populations, Y-chromosome diversity was assessed in two populations belonging to an Arab genealogical lineage, Kairouan and Wesletia, as well as in four Tunisian Andalusian populations, Testour, Slouguia, Qalaat-El-Andalous and El Alia. The Arabs from Kairouan revealed 73.47% of E-M81 and close affinities with Berber groups, indicating they are likely arabized Berbers, clearly differentiated from the Arabs from Wesletia, who harbored the highest frequency (71.8%) of the Middle Eastern component ever observed in North Africa. In the Tunisian Andalusians, the North African component largely prevailed, followed by the Middle Eastern contribution. Global comparative analysis highlighted the heterogeneity of Tunisian populations, among which, as a whole, dominated a set of lineages ascribed to be of autochthonous Berber origin (71.67%), beside a component of essentially Middle Eastern extraction (18.35%), and signatures of Sub-Saharan (5.2%), European (3.45%) and Asiatic (1.33%) contributions. The remarkable frequency of T-M70 in Wesletia (17.4%) prompted to refine its phylogeographic analysis, allowing to confirm its Middle Eastern origin, though signs of local evolution in Northern Africa were also detected. Evidence was clear on the ancient introduction of T lineages into the region, probably since Neolithic times associated to spread of agriculture.

Searching for the roots of the first free African American community.

San Basilio de Palenque is an Afro-descendant community near Cartagena, Colombia, founded in the sixteenth century. The recognition of the historical and cultural importance of Palenque has promoted several studies, namely concerning the African roots of its first inhabitants. To deepen the knowledge of the origin and diversity of the Palenque parental lineages, we analysed a sample of 81 individuals for the entire mtDNA Control Region as well as 92 individuals for 27 Y-STRs and 95 for 51 Y-SNPs. The results confirmed the strong isolation of the Palenque, with some degree of influx of Native American maternal lineages, and a European admixture exclusively mediated by men. Due to the high genetic drift observed, a pairwise FST analysis with available data on African populations proved to be inadequate for determining population affinities. In contrast, when a phylogenetic approach was used, it was possible to infer the phylogeographic origin of some lineages in Palenque. Contradicting previous studies indicating a single African origin, our results evidence parental genetic contributions from widely different African regions.

Twenty Years Later: A Comprehensive Review of the X Chromosome Use in Forensic Genetics.

The unique structure of the X chromosome shaped by evolution has led to the present gender-specific genetic differences, which are not shared by its counterpart, the Y chromosome, and neither by the autosomes. In males, recombination between the X and Y chromosomes is limited to the pseudoautosomal regions, PAR1 and PAR2; therefore, in males, the X chromosome is (almost) entirely transmitted to female offspring. On the other hand, the X chromosome is present in females with two copies that recombine along the whole chromosome during female meiosis and that is transmitted to both female and male descendants. These transmission characteristics, besides the obvious clinical impact (sex chromosome aneuploidies are extremely frequent), make the X chromosome an irreplaceable genetic tool for population genetic-based studies as well as for kinship and forensic investigations. In the early 2000s, the number of publications using X-chromosomal polymorphisms in forensic and population genetic applications increased steadily. However, nearly 20 years later, we observe a conspicuous decrease in the rate of these publications. In light of this observation, the main aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the advances and applications of X-chromosomal markers in population and forensic genetics over the last two decades. The foremost relevant topics are addressed as: (i) developments concerning the number and types of markers available, with special emphasis on short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms (STR nomenclatures and practical concerns); (ii) overview of worldwide population (frequency) data; (iii) the use of X-chromosomal markers in (complex) kinship testing and the forensic statistical evaluation of evidence; (iv) segregation and mutation studies; and (v) current weaknesses and future prospects.

New Insights into Bite Performance: Morphological Trade-Offs Underlying the Duration and Magnitude of Bite Force.

Biting performance is important for feeding, territory defense, and mating in many animals. While maximal bite force is a well-studied trait, other aspects of biting and their variation depending on behavior are rarely considered. Here, we took an innovative approach, where (1) we quantified a novel trait, bite duration in lizards; (2) we examined variation across setups that simulate feeding and antagonistic behavior; and (3) we used F-matrix statistics to investigate how different functional components are optimized for ecological and social demands with respect to individual morphology. Our results did not show differences between the sexes in bite duration, but bite performance varied across experimental setups in males, suggesting a higher functional flexibility in this sex. The investigation of form-function associations revealed that trade-offs, facilitations, and one-to-one relationships are simultaneously involved in the morphological optimization of bite force and duration. Put together, our integrated analysis of two different components of bite performance-force and duration-demonstrates their importance for males in both ecological and social tasks. Our findings also suggest the existence of trade-offs in the morphological optimization of functional components, possibly due to physiological constraints on muscle composition, insertion, and orientation.

Male lineages in Brazilian populations and performance of haplogroup prediction tools.

The use of Y-chromosomal genetic markers in forensic investigations demands the establishment of reliable and representative DNA databases of different reference populations. The genetic characterization of the Y chromosome variation in human populations requires the analyses of haplotype frequencies allied to haplogroup determination. The present study aimed to contribute to the Brazilian database by providing 1,382 Yfiler Plus individual profiles, from 11 Brazilian states. The Yfiler Plus markers showed high haplotype diversities in all Brazilian populations (>0.9970), allowing high intra-population discrimination in forensic investigations. Pairwise genetic distances showed a homogeneity between Brazilian populations (FST ≤ 0.0043; non-differentiation p-values ≥ 0.0212), indicating that admixed populations from Brazil can be represented in a single Yfiler Plus haplotype database, for forensic purposes. The performance of Haplogroup Predictor and NevGen software in haplogroup prediction based on Yfiler Plus and Yfiler haplotypes was evaluated in a subset of 416 Brazilian samples that were also genotyped for 51 Y-SNPs. In 25% of the samples, no classification or errors were found for at least one of the prediction tools or marker sets. NevGen presented lower error rates (5.52% and 8.65% with Yfiler Plus and Yfiler, respectively) than Haplogroup Predictor (16.11% with Yfiler Plus and 13.70% with Yfiler). In conclusion, both haplogroup prediction tools can be useful to direct the SNP typing, but present large error rates to be used in forensic analysis, especially in predicting African haplogroups in admixed South American populations.

Unusual ß-Globin Haplotype Distribution in Newborns from Bengo, Angola.

Mutations on the HBB gene are a common cause of hemoglobinopathies, including sickle cell anemia, a severe genetic condition that constitutes a major public health concern. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sickle cell anemia and ß-globin haplotype distribution in newborns from the Bengo region. The first two exons of ß-globin gene were sequenced, and the variability at the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) defining the Hb S (HBB: c.20A>T) haplotypes, was analyzed by a SNaPshot® Multiplex system. About 3.3% of the children were homozygous for Hb S, and 82.2% had as background the Bantu/Central African Republic (BAN/CAR) haplotype, 11.2% the Benin (BEN) and 6.6% the Senegal (SEN). The estimate of Hb S reached the very high value of 0.1476 ± 0.0133, with the aggravating factor of 82.2% of the sickle alleles being anchored in the BAN/CAR haplotype, associated with the more severe sickle cell anemia phenotypes. Also, the high prevalence of the SEN haplotype was not expected, having therapeutic consequences since is associated with more severe outcomes. In addition, two ß-thalassemia (ß-thal) variants were also detected, IVS I-110 (G>A) (HBB: c.93-21G>A) and codon 39 (C>T) (HBB: c.118C>T), together totaling a frequency of 1.3%. Some of the newborns with these mutations were compound heterozygotes for Hb S, likely carrying genotypes consistent with sickle cell disease. As a whole, infants molecularly diagnosed with sickle cell disease accounted for 4.5% of newborns from Bengo, Angola, a figure that per se, highlights the urgent need of implementing policies warranting surveillance of these children, in parallel with community education in the region.

Intraspecific variation in lizard heat tolerance alters estimates of climate impact.

Research addressing the effects of global warming on the distribution and persistence of species generally assumes that population variation in thermal tolerance is spatially constant or overridden by interspecific variation. Typically, this rationale is implicit in sourcing one critical thermal maximum (CTmax ) population estimate per species to model spatiotemporal cross-taxa variation in heat tolerance. Theory suggests that such an approach could result in biased or imprecise estimates and forecasts of impact from climate warming, but limited empirical evidence in support of those expectations exists. We experimentally quantify the magnitude of intraspecific variation in CTmax among lizard populations, and the extent to which incorporating such variability can alter estimates of climate impact through a biophysical model. To do so, we measured CTmax from 59 populations of 15 Iberian lizard species (304 individuals). The overall median CTmax across all individuals from all species was 42.8°C and ranged from 40.5 to 48.3°C, with species medians decreasing through xeric, climate-generalist and mesic taxa. We found strong statistical support for intraspecific differentiation in CTmax by up to a median of 3°C among populations. We show that annual restricted activity (operative temperature > CTmax ) over the Iberian distribution of our study species differs by a median of >80 hr per 25-km2 grid cell based on different population-level CTmax estimates. This discrepancy leads to predictions of spatial variation in annual restricted activity to change by more than 20 days for six of the study species. Considering that during restriction periods, reptiles should be unable to feed and reproduce, current projections of climate-change impacts on the fitness of ectotherm fauna could be under- or over-estimated depending on which population is chosen to represent the physiological spectra of the species in question. Mapping heat tolerance over the full geographical ranges of single species is thus critical to address cross-taxa patterns and drivers of heat tolerance in a biologically comprehensive way.

Latin Americans show wide-spread Converso ancestry and imprint of local Native ancestry on physical appearance.

Historical records and genetic analyses indicate that Latin Americans trace their ancestry mainly to the intermixing (admixture) of Native Americans, Europeans and Sub-Saharan Africans. Using novel haplotype-based methods, here we infer sub-continental ancestry in over 6,500 Latin Americans and evaluate the impact of regional ancestry variation on physical appearance. We find that Native American ancestry components in Latin Americans correspond geographically to the present-day genetic structure of Native groups, and that sources of non-Native ancestry, and admixture timings, match documented migratory flows. We also detect South/East Mediterranean ancestry across Latin America, probably stemming mostly from the clandestine colonial migration of Christian converts of non-European origin (Conversos). Furthermore, we find that ancestry related to highland (Central Andean) versus lowland (Mapuche) Natives is associated with variation in facial features, particularly nose morphology, and detect significant differences in allele frequencies between these groups at loci previously associated with nose morphology in this sample.

Molecular evidence for host-parasite co-speciation between lizards and Schellackia parasites.

Current and past parasite transmission may depend on the overlap of host distributions, potentially affecting parasite specificity and co-evolutionary processes. Nonetheless, parasite diversification may take place in sympatry when parasites are transmitted by vectors with low mobility. Here, we test the co-speciation hypothesis between lizard final hosts of the Family Lacertidae, and blood parasites of the genus Schellackia, which are potentially transmitted by haematophagous mites. The effects of current distributional overlap of host species on parasite specificity are also investigated. We sampled 27 localities on the Iberian Peninsula and three in northern Africa, and collected blood samples from 981 individual lizards of seven genera and 18 species. The overall prevalence of infection by parasites of the genus Schellackia was ∼35%. We detected 16 Schellackia haplotypes of the 18S rRNA gene, revealing that the genus Schellackia is more diverse than previously thought. Phylogenetic analyses showed that Schellackia haplotypes grouped into two main monophyletic clades, the first including those detected in host species endemic to the Mediterranean region and the second those detected in host genera Acanthodactylus, Zootoca and Takydromus. All but one of the Schellackia haplotypes exhibited a high degree of host specificity at the generic level and 78.5% of them exclusively infected single host species. Some host species within the genera Podarcis (six species) and Iberolacerta (two species) were infected by three non-specific haplotypes of Schellackia, suggesting that host switching might have positively influenced past diversification of the genus. However, the results supported the idea that current host switching is rare because there existed a significant positive correlation between the number of exclusive parasite haplotypes and the number of host species with current sympatric distribution. This result, together with significant support for host-parasite molecular co-speciation, suggests that parasites of the genus Schellackia co-evolved with their lizard hosts.

Run for your life, but bite for your rights? How interactions between natural and sexual selection shape functional morphology across habitats.

A central issue in evolutionary biology is how morphology, performance, and habitat use coevolve. If morphological variation is tightly associated with habitat use, then differences in morphology should affect fitness through their effect on performance within specific habitats. In this study, we investigate how evolutionary forces mold morphological traits and performance differently given the surrounding environment, at the intraspecific level. For this purpose, we selected populations of the lizard Podarcis bocagei from two different habitat types, agricultural walls and dunes, which we expected to reflect saxicolous vs ground-dwelling habits. In the laboratory, we recorded morphological traits as well as performance traits by measuring sprint speed, climbing capacity, maneuverability, and bite force. Our results revealed fast-evolving ecomorphological variation among populations of P. bocagei, where a direct association existed between head morphology and bite performance. However, we could not establish links between limb morphology and locomotor performance at the individual level. Lizards from walls were better climbers than those from dunes, suggesting a very fast evolutionary response. Interestingly, a significant interaction between habitat and sex was detected in climbing performance. In addition, lizards from dunes bit harder than those from walls, although sexual differentiation was definitely the main factor driving variation in head functional morphology. Taking into account all the results, we found a complex interaction between natural and sexual selection on whole-organism performance, which are, in some cases, reflected in morphological variation.

The Eastern side of the Westernmost Europeans: Insights from subclades within Y-chromosome haplogroup J-M304.

OBJECTIVES: We examined internal lineages and haplotype diversity in Portuguese samples belonging to J-M304 to improve the spatial and temporal understanding of the introduction of this haplogroup in Iberia, using the available knowledge about the phylogeography of its main branches, J1-M267 and J2-M172. METHODS: A total of 110 males of Portuguese descent were analyzed for 17 Y-chromosome bi-allelic markers and seven Y-chromosome short tandem repeats (Y-STR) loci. RESULTS: Among J1-M267 individuals (n = 36), five different sub-haplogroups were identified, with the most common being J1a2b2-L147.1 (∼72%), which encompassed the majority of representatives of the J1a2b-P58 subclade. One sample belonged to the rare J1a1-M365.1 lineage and presented a core Y-STR haplotype consistent with the Iberian settlement during the fifth century by the Alans, a people of Iranian heritage. The analysis of J2-M172 Portuguese males (n = 74) enabled the detection of the two main subclades at very dissimilar frequencies, J2a-M410 (∼80%) and J2b-M12 (∼20%), among which the most common branches were J2a1(xJ2a1b,h)-L26 (22.9%), J2a1b(xJ2a1b1)-M67 (20.3%), J2a1h-L24 (27%), and J2b2-M241 (20.3%). CONCLUSIONS: While previous inferences based on modern haplogroup J Y-chromosomes implicated a main Neolithic dissemination, here we propose a later arrival of J lineages into Iberia using a combination of novel Portuguese Y-chromosomal data and recent evidence from ancient DNA. Our analysis suggests that a substantial tranche of J1-M267 lineages was likely carried into the Iberian Peninsula as a consequence of the trans-Mediterranean contacts during the first millennium BC, while most of the J2-M172 lineages may be associated with post-Neolithic population movements within Europe.

Forensic genetics and genomics: Much more than just a human affair.

While traditional forensic genetics has been oriented towards using human DNA in criminal investigation and civil court cases, it currently presents a much wider application range, including not only legal situations sensu stricto but also and, increasingly often, to preemptively avoid judicial processes. Despite some difficulties, current forensic genetics is progressively incorporating the analysis of nonhuman genetic material to a greater extent. The analysis of this material-including other animal species, plants, or microorganisms-is now broadly used, providing ancillary evidence in criminalistics in cases such as animal attacks, trafficking of species, bioterrorism and biocrimes, and identification of fraudulent food composition, among many others. Here, we explore how nonhuman forensic genetics is being revolutionized by the increasing variety of genetic markers, the establishment of faster, less error-burdened and cheaper sequencing technologies, and the emergence and improvement of models, methods, and bioinformatics facilities.

Male-specific contributions to the Brazilian population of Espirito Santo.

Y chromosome markers have been widely studied due to their various applications in the fields of forensic and evolutionary genetics. In this study, 35 Y-SNPs and 17 Y-STRs were genotyped in 253 males from the State of Espirito Santo, Brazil. A total of 18 haplogroups and 243 haplotypes were detected; the haplogroup and haplotype diversities were 0.7794 and 0.9997, respectively. Genetic distance analysis using the Y-STR data showed no statistically significant differences between Espirito Santo and other admixed populations from Brazil. The classification of paternal lineages based on haplogroups showed a predominant European contribution (85.88%), followed by African (11.37%) and Amerindian (2.75%) contributions.